Upfest, a Bristol-based street art organisation has recently been commissioned to redesign Bar 100 in the Student Union building at the decision of the SU Committee. Starting this week, students will be invited to vote as to whether the artwork remains, is whitewashed, or replaced by different artists.
Questions have already been raised as to the purpose of exhibiting the artwork prior to the vote. One student called the act “a waste of time and resources”, and some have questioned whether the SU are trying to influence the outcome of the vote by having the artwork already in place.
Emma Chapman, Manager of Bar 100, has already described the student reaction as “positive feedback”. However, the majority of Bar 100’s customers so far this year have been first years, due to Freshers’ Events such as the Ball, Party and RAG bar crawl. Having never seen the bar prior to redesign, Freshers are not in a position to give a balanced view as to an improvement.
Ben Slow, K74, and Matti are the artists on display and all part of Upfest. Although a Bristol-based group, Upfest’s artists are sourced from as far as Los Angeles and Holland, questioning their connection to Bristol University. The SU made the decision to use Upfest based on the success of the Banksy vs. Bristol Museum campaign this summer, but would the use of home-grown Bristol students have been more appropriate?
The vote is open from Monday 12th for two weeks, with a final decision being reached in early November. Votes can be made in the Student Union building. Epigram would encourage as many students to make the effort to view the changes and put forward their opinions to ensure the eventual outcome is a true reflection of student judgement as a whole.
CLODAGH BLAINE
DOTTY BROWNE
19/10/09
