Elf 'n' safety strikes again

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti....html#comments

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

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 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

[Special]

Hmmm, could be a worse case of Health and Safety gone mad, but it's still pretty bad 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

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.