RECONFIGURING A TASMANIAN TABLUEAU

CONTEXT

Question #1: What's a tableau?  Well let's go to a dictionary ... tableau [ta-bloh, tab-loh]  plural tab·leaux [ta-blohz, tab-lohz] /tæˈbloʊz, ˈtæb loʊz/, tab·leaus. .... 

1. a picture, as of a scene. 
2. a picturesque grouping of persons or objects; a striking scene.
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tableau

Albeit a somewhat obscure term in everyday language its not so obscure as to be so poorly understood as to be incomprehensible. A 'planner' working in a public space and in a 'cultural context' might well have done some research and/or taken some contextual advice before offering to the community's representatives. In fact, it is the kind of thing that a 'community consultation process' is likely to offer 'expert advice' on if it is sought.

All that aside, in the CIVIC SQUARE planning processes that have been going on since well before the current Launceston City Council was installed,  Stephen Walker's 'TASMANIAN TABLEAU' should have been, indeed must have been, a consideration in any credible planing process.

Indeed, how can any credible planning process involving the development of a 'public space' proceed without research and community consultation?

It will be claimed that there was community consultation, and research too, yet on the available evidence, the advice offered to Launceston's aldermen was imperfect despite the provisions of SECTION 65 of Tasmania's Local Govt Act. The plan to reconfigure 'the tableau' is embedded in the March 2017 Civic Square Development Application where aldermen were provided with imperfect advice for whatever reason. The guarantee was not delivered upon on the available evidence.

"The motion to support the designs in principle was unanimously carried at the City of Launceston council meeting on Monday.... An amendment to the original motion was carried to support the design “in principle” as the redevelopment concept plans will be considered at a special meeting of the council next week." ... As reported in The Examiner

Indeed, the documentation for approval is silent on the issue of the moral rights of authors relative to any civic artworks located in the Civic Square precinct.

Given that 'the tableau' was a gift to the city from the proprietors of 'The Examiner' [ 1 ] • [ 2 ] on the occasion of  the newspaper's sesquicentenary surely this context must have been given some consideration. Unless the  city's Aldermen and planners were oblivious to the city's history, 'the tableau' must have been a consideration and ideally it would have informed both the planning and design processes put in place for the redevelopment of Civic Square – [ 1 ] • [ 2 ] • [ 3 ]
.                        

The Examiner is Australia's third-oldest surviving daily newspaper after the Sydney Morning Herald (1831) and the Geelong Advertiser (1840). As The Launceston Examiner, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser it was first published on Saturday afternoon, March 12, 1842, on a hand press smuggled into Van Diemens Land disguised as brewery machinery. The Examiner was initially located in Brisbane St, Launceston, and had a staff of 12. So, 'the tableau' carries significant cultural cargo.

However, in a 'civic sense', is it appropriate to put this history and context aside? Likewise, is it enough to  leave the interpretation plaques in place and leave interpretation open to speculation not to mention criticism and unwelcome critiques?

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO
•
CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO ENLARGE

6.8M 

Stephen Walker Tasmanian Tableau Installation Rectification July 1 20018

According to Launceston City Council this operation has no cost implications for  the city's ratepayers. When the question was asked on the record "Has Council made an estimate of the costs involved in, and related to, addressing the issue of the artist’s/author’s moral rights being violated"  the following response was provided. 

Response: 'There are no additional costs to the Civic Square project associated with these sculptures.'  .... FOR CONTEXT SEE https://complaint7250governance.blogspot.com/p/civic.html

Since that advice was challenged there has been deathly silence except for Alderman Finlay, Mayoral aspirant and Audit Panel member, who provided the following information ... "Council have been advised that as the Civic Square redevelopment project is under budget any costs associated with the sculpture being reinstated as intended can be absorbed within the current budget... personal communication June 19 2018"

The evidence on display in Launceston right next to Town Hall, Sunday July 1, in Civic Square, would seem to document an alternative vision. This evidence, such as it is, is here as a demonstration of Lauueston Council's feed the constituency 'spin' whenever challenged. 

Clearly, this operation carried out in Civic Square Sunday July 1 Cost something unless all the workers and contractors were donating their time. That was not in evidence. 

CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO ENLARGE

 

CONTEXT

In the COUNCIL AGENDA papers, Monday 4 June 2018 3 7.1.1, Public Questions on Notice, 14 May 2018 FILE NO: SF6381. Click here fo or context  There were 11 questions and arguably the answers provided defy credibility. 

Indeed, there is a case to be put that the answers provided are deliberately deceptive. Whatever, the answers provided are in fact insulting at the very least given that it is expected that they are expected to be accepted in good faith. That these questions even arise, the next question that comes up, why might the answers provided be deceptive or even intentionally mischievous? 

Attention needs to be drawn to Council’s Vision, Mission and Values – https://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/Council/Our-Vision-Mission-and-Values. 

Specifically, attention needs to drawn to the seventh question. To reiterate, “7. Has Council made an estimate of the costs involved in, and related to, addressing the issue of the artist’s/author’s moral rights being violated?” The Response was, “There are no additional costs to the Civic Square project associated with these sculptures.” 

This cannot possibly be the case and this answer in particular defies all credibility on the most basic evidence.

Given that the current arrangement is, now that it is accepted Stephen Walker’ ‘Tasmanian Tableau’ has been reinstalled in Civic Square installed in error, and in contravention of his moral rights, it has cost something to install and those costs are measurable, and identifiable, albeit that they now represent a loss – a measurable loss. Consequently, there are identifiable costs attributable to the realisation of this work on a new site. To assert the contrary would require evidence that I suggest cannot be provided – and indeed has not been provided. 

• Upon the realisation that Council had acted in error, advice would need to have been sought, and time spent, to check the veracity of the assertion that an error requiring action and correction needed to be dealt with. Consequently, there would be identifiable costs attributable to this work and the gaining of appropriate advice – in-house or external advice. 

• Upon accepting that an error had indeed been made, the artist’s estate needed to be, indeed has been, engaged in a consultation process. There must be identifiable costs attributable to this process. 

• Upon receiving advice from the artist’s estate, a planning process must have been put in place that had administrative time implications at the very least if not consultancy costs in addition. Consequently, there must be identifiable costs attributable to this aspect of this project. 

• Given that it is understood that significant elements of to ‘the tableaux’ now need to be moved it is undeniable that there are cost implications to this work. 

• Given that it is understood that the elements of to ‘the tableaux’ now need to be reconfigured and/or reinstalled there are cost implications to this work that are undeniable. 

• Given that there are areas where elements have needed to be removed from there will be costs involved in making good those areas. 

• Given that it is understood that the artist’s agent will be supervising the reinstallation of ‘the tableaux’ clearly there will be cost implications related to that. 

• Given that there will be work to be done on the reinstalled ‘tableaux’ there will be cost implication related to that work.

•  And, given all of the above there may well be other costs not identified here that need to be taken into account and indeed accounted for in accord with Council’s accounts.