Monday, March 19, 2007

Inflation


It’s just one month shy of five years since around twelve residents had their moment of outrage in the Christchurch Press (“The bunnies are absolutely revolting.” “What a load of rubbish.” etc. etc.) at Michael Parekowhai’s proposal to install two giant rabbits in Cathedral Square for Scape 2002. In the end the controversy made funding impossible and the installation never came off. On Friday Mike returned to Christchurch and installed Jim McMurtry, an inflatable version of one of the Scape bunnies, in the foyer of the Christchurch Art Gallery. This same work has also been shown in the Gwangju Biennale in Korea and its partner Cosmo featured in last year’s Melbourne Art Fair. Cosmo is now in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria.