Whoops! An Aussie Artist Buried in a Box for a “Thought‑Provoking” Performance
Mike Parr, the 73‑year‑old “endurance artist”, has once again pushed the limits of artistic expression by burying himself for nearly three days inside a steel slab beneath a busy Hobart highway. The stunt, billed as a tribute to the victims of totalitarian oppression, turned a mundane traffic lane into a bizarre human tomb.
The Underground Reality
- Bed, water, a sketchpad and pencils – no coffee!
- Oxygen pumped in to keep him alive while cars rumbled above.
- Space: 1.7 m by 2.2 m – barely enough room to scream.
- Only a tiny flashlight for light‑emitting when he wanted to “see” his world.
The event was part of Tasmania’s Dark Mofo festival, a showcase of darkness-themed art, food, film and music. Organisers claimed the piece’s true motive was to underscore “the haunting legacy of 19th‑century British colonial genocide in Australia.”
The Big Reveal
After a heavy‑machinery operation that removed the asphalt seal, Parr clambered out on a ladder on Sunday afternoon. He emerged without a word, ignoring the raindrop‑slick crowd that gathered for the “epic moment of freedom.” On Tuesday he’s slated to light up a Q&A forum with his stories from underground.
Reactions: Cheers and Huh?
Some folks hailed the act as a bold statement, while others were left scratching their heads.
- “So this bloke spends three days in a box, right? Calls it art. Makes the news.” – Rodney Gibbison
- “I’d give back the last five minutes of my life if I could reverse the audience’s shock.” – James Hank de Ridder
Curator Jarrod Rawlins emphasized that Parr is a seasoned performer “used to doing all sorts of endurance work.” Even so, the stunt—remember, he’s a whole season in a mental state of “remember everything but nothing at once”—blew minds.
Not the First Controversial Gig
Pampering a history of shock: Parr once used a faux‑axe to shatter a prosthetic arm filled with minced meat and blood for a live audience. No one mentioned the audience’s reaction to his “life‑i‑made‑for‑the-quick‑yoga” props.
Dark Mofo itself has stirred the pot this year – it built inverted crosses on the waterfront, which ruffled some Christian sensibilities. All in all, the festival keeps the conversation alive and the streets a bit messy.
