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‘Australia’s largest unsanctioned art show’: guerrilla bushfire campaign hijacks bus shelters

Dozens of political posters replace outdoor advertising in a protest against the government’s handling of Australia’s bushfire crisis

 ‘Climate Denial’ by Sydney artist Scott Marsh, who is part of the Bushfire Brandalism art collective which installs political art guerrilla-style in bus stops around Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to draw attention to the bushfire crisis. Photograph: Adam Scarf

It’s amazing what you can get away with in a hi-vis vest.

On Thursday 30 January, pedestrians in some suburbs of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane would have walked straight past activist artists (vandals, some critics might call them) removing advertising from bus shelters and inserting artwork protesting the Morrison government and its handling of Australia’s bushfire crisis.

“Bushfire Brandalism”, the action is being called.

 

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Sydney-based artist Scott Marsh chuckles about the hi-vis vests: “It’s the cloak of invisibility.”

Marsh, known internationally for his political murals, contributed a portrait of Scott Morrison with the words “climate denial” emblazoned across his forehead.

A QR code on each poster links people to a bushfire-related charity of the artist’s choice. It also gives the collective an idea of how and where people are connecting with the campaign.

Unfortunately, many of the works get taken down as fast as they go up. The collective said on Monday they installed 78 posters last week, describing it as “the nation’s largest unsanctioned outdoor art exhibition”. But only a few posters remain.

Source: ‘Australia’s largest unsanctioned art show’: guerrilla bushfire campaign hijacks bus shelters