Parking Pole

Michelle Nikou

Part of the Adelaide Bike Art Trail, Parking Pole by Michelle Nikou aim is to mirror what exists beside it but perform a ‘softening of the rules’. It was not possible to construct a conceptually difficult work in such a fast paced zone, however, in the most gentle of ways Michelle hopes to shift perception with ambience of material and humour. Bronze always says ART and in this way the material is able to insert itself into a ‘dictated space’: changing the paradigm and presenting no rules. From the experience of having parked in the spaces just near this zone, Michelle realised they require some inspection to avoid a fine. Adding to the mix of that inspection is a blank – a blank parking pole and signs made from traditional artists’ materials – it has no instruction on it and therefore remains a space to project oneself on to – appreciable in todays graphically overloaded world.