Elf 'n' safety strikes again

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1320810/Tate-Moderns-vast-carpet-seeds-closed-health-safety-chiefs-dusty.html#comments


Tate Modern's vast carpet of seeds is closed by health and safety chiefs 'for being too dusty'




http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/15/article-1320810-0BA07A9F000005DC-732_634x474.jpg




It was supposed to be an artistic statement about freedom of expression. But just two days after the Tate Modern unveiled its latest installation, health and safety officials have ordered it to be closed to the public. The vast carpet of more than 100 million porcelain sunflower 'seeds', created by Chinese artist Ai WeiWei has been declared out of bounds to visitors after it was branded a danger to health. Now the public can only gaze at it from a bridge after friction from hundreds of people walking and interacting with the seeds threw up potentially damaging dust.


A Tate spokeswoman said: 'Although porcelain is very robust, the enthusiastic interaction of visitors has resulted in a greater than expected level of dust in the Turbine Hall. 'Tate has been advised that this dust could be damaging to health following repeated inhalation over a long period of time. In consequence, Tate, in consultation with the artist, has decided not to allow visitors to walk across the sculpture.' The Tate Modern's over-cautious approach is unsurprising considering they have paid out £26,990 in compensation to six visitors who said they were injured at previous installations.

The seeds, individually handcrafted by skilled artisans and covering 1,000 square metres of the London gallery's Turbine Hall, were the idea of Chinese conceptual artist Ai Weiwei. The ceramic seeds were moulded, fired at soaring temperatures, hand-painted and then fired again over the course of two years.


Nanny knows best!

Thoughts?

[mr.iain]

thats to far :|

its art ffs.

[Special]

omg i'm going there monday and it has to close now arrrrrrrrrrr

[AgnesIO]

Health and Safety is a joke.

I don't see how these sort of things are art - but even still - closing it due to DUST?

My god.

[Apple]

Can't they just offer out them paper face masks as a legal disclaimer rather than actually closing it all down? It's hideous!

[Storking]

dust.. DUST?????

what the hell! a little bit of dust never hurt nobody :S

How ridiculous!

[GommeInc]

Hmmm, could be a worse case of Health and Safety gone mad, but it's still pretty bad :P You can see their point, but completely closing it is pointless, especially when it looks as though it's an exhibit you can really put your hands into and feel around, which is the best kind of art :P

[Special]

Hmmm, could be a worse case of Health and Safety gone mad, but it's still pretty bad :P You can see their point, but completely closing it is pointless, especially when it looks as though it's an exhibit you can really put your hands into and feel around, which is the best kind of art :P

good point, they could have just put posts around it to stop people going on it (you could origionally go on it)

[rnix]

I want to see that! Looks fun :) Can you jump in it or is it solid? :L

[-:Undertaker:-]

good point, they could have just put posts around it to stop people going on it (you could origionally go on it)

Or even better, let people make up their own minds!

But hey, unaccountable health and safety chiefs on £50,000+ a year know better than all of us.

[ChickenFaces]

Aww that's a shame I'm sure that they're devastated that their art can't be experienced the way they want it to be :( I hope they let people back in soon!

[Chippiewill]

Have they never heard of ventilation?

[Suspective]

Its ridiculous and is cheating the government out of money. There was an article the other day, about the government and local authorities being sued.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Its ridiculous and is cheating the government out of money. There was an article the other day, about the government and local authorities being sued.

A bit like how government treats its own people regarding taxation.

[Pyroka]

The days of, "If you do something and you're an idiot, deal with it" are over, now it's all, "If you do something and you're an idiot but you can turn the blame on someone else, then you can claim thousands".

It's pathetic tbh, this is way way way too far. H&S is a pure pain in the ass, I mean when did it suddenly start getting strict?

Maybe it was the millenium bug, H&S peeps were like oh no everyones gonna get a freakin cold off the millenium bug.

Eejits.

[Jordy]

its art ffs.Is it though? I'm more concerned with the crap they pass off as Art these days but anyway. After visiting the Tate in Liverpool I genuinely can't understand how half of the stuff is "Art".

[hairpins]

tbh eye wudnt 1 2 go anywere naer dust it is nasti +o(

[AgnesIO]

tbh eye wudnt 1 2 go anywere naer dust it is nasti +o(

In English?

It's health and safety - have you ever ate any food? Do you breath? Congratulations you are putting dust in to your body.

--
I agree with Jordy - you get crap like black canvases and this - how does that count as 'art'? And in a gallery with MILLIONS of pounds of art?

[GommeInc]

I agree with Jordy - you get crap like black canvases and this - how does that count as 'art'? And in a gallery with MILLIONS of pounds of art?

I'm guessing it's the individually made pebbles which make it art, as it shows passion towards a greater master piece. Art is very different nowadays anyway, they seem to create something and attempt to plaster a meaning behind it, which doesn't really make any sense :P

[Alkaz]

It's a joke. Some of the installations around London and the world are just ridiculous but people respect it for what it is and know not to touch or go near something they think might harm them. There is one in the bottom of the Saatchi gallery where you are literally ran over by old models of service men in wheel chairs. That's been there for AGES. Also, I know that the 'box of darkness' (below) was a massive success at the Tate having been there and in the box about 30 times lol. I'm surprised that wasn't closed down as as soon as you step inside you literally can't see a thing. The first time I went in it I smacked my face on the back wall, I never asked for compensation as it was my own fault, I should have been walking with my arms out. If people were that worried about it, they wouldn't step on it, end off. The turbine hall at the Tate only ever displays one or two pieces compared to the other seven floors the gallery has. It's not as though it's the only thing there for people to see or even if they have to pay to get in!

Ridiculous.

http://studiomakelight.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/picture-24.png
(as a guestimate of size, the legs that support the box are about 6ft tall which can be seen in the picture)