Steampunk dance party in the big hall (Turbine Hall), Barnesy in the big hall – too dangerous after closure. Blow-up King Kong climbing a smokestack – would’ve blown up our whole budget. Youth day graffiti-ing an entire inner wall the day before it was knocked down – too dangerous. Convert Liddell into giant permanent art gallery/theme park/museum – too expensive to convert. Preserve as a “ghost” building for events – too expensive especially running and repair costs! Set a physical theatre / circus / play in among the wild machinery and insulation – too toxic. Nude swim across Lake Liddell – brain-eating amoeba. “Play” the building live – too difficult in the timeframe but we did manage to get one artist in to create the Liddell Symphony. Include demolition of the stacks in artworks – not happening until 2025. Paint a smokestack in First Nations artwork – too hard, dangerous, expensive, and a traffic hazard. Create a Liddell game – no takers. Create a giant arc de triomphe electric sculpture out of appliances and machinery that turns on and off inside Liddell – too hard. Repurpose a transmission tower into a giant sculpture – see image suggestion from Will Maguire – budget blow-up!
But it doesn’t matter – the reasons against were all reasonable – and LiddellWORKS already stretched everyone to capacity – and the results are excellent. We couldn’t ask for anything more.
John O’Brien, Arts Upper Hunter
