Weird balloon woman (who won't respond to you) - Southbank

[oimissus]

there's a big difference between a child being told that they can't have something that they want and being totally ignored by someone who, by all usual norms, is selling something. The idea behind this is fine, but involving young children (surely the main purveyors of Hello Kitty ballons and the like) doesn't sit well with me.

And Alice's comment was very snide and unnecessary.

[TE44]

There is nothing stopping communication between the child and parent, i'd imagine there

may have been some people grateful, whos children will not accept there reasons for not buying things. and

feel to keep the child happy will give in almost every time.

[Otta]

But surely those people would have avoided approaching her in the first place? It's up to a parent to set boundaries for their kids. If a parent has agreed to buy the balloon, then they approach the seller, so the kid understandably thinks they're going to get a balloon.

[Otta]

I found this photo online, which I Think is the same woman.

Thing is, I'd have no issue with this, the balloons are plain, and I'd have assumed it was something "arty" (plus it's in a much quieter area).

But to stand just outside the main entrance where there are things going on, with a load of the themed balloons that you see at funfairs and festivals (for sale) is in my opinion teasing small children.

[eva_ben]

Why don't you send the artist a link to this discussion and ask him to respond? Seriously.

[Otta]

I intend to write to them, and perhaps linking to this would be a good idea.

And I won't be slagging off the idea, as I actually quite like this sort of thing and would normally see the interesting / funny side if it didn't involve kids.

It's just the using of something that's going to attract children which bugs me.

[hellosailor]

I completely agree with you Otta, to be honest even if they were plain balloons it sounds like the sort of yawn fest we churned out in Theatre Studies A-level but to use hello kitty balloons presumably to deliberately attract children makes it just plain odd. I reckon write to them and link to this thread, the artist was obviously keen for people to actively engage in their work right?!

[TE44]

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/14/mirrorcity-exhibition-review-hayward-gallery-digital-age

Heres a link to the mirrorcity exhibition by the guardian, I found the comments more interesting and particulary

liked ananymous000s comment.

I was up there today, but unfortunately didnt have enough money to get in, I spoke to attendant on door

and told him about the balloon woman and how people felt but he didn't seem to involved except to say there

had been a few things going on outside, and inform me, Chasing Dreams was on for free, which i have already seen (great by the way). I've gotta say I just can't see how its cruel to children,at this time especially, when children are saturated with products, it feels like a breath of fresh air to be reminded you can't always get what you want.

[buggie]

Must've been pretty uncomfortable for the person asked by the artist to do this (as they advertised for people to do this the artist who came up with the idea obv didn't want to put themselves out there doing this).

Seems magnificently shortsighted of them not to consider the upsetting affect on kids & families. As others have said, it's all well & good doing "performance pieces" that leave adults challenged, but there is something ethically wrong with them doing it in a way that has almost specifically targeted young children.

[Otta]

Agree Buggie, And like I said in my first post, I thought the girl looked Eastern Europan, and I'm guessing she was in it for a few quid (could be wrong of course). She WAS very very good at it (the bitch), but yeah, the artist could give it a go themselves.

Also, I know this is a terribly sexist thing to say, but I think I'd have reacted differently if it had been a bloke (more questioning and use of choice words may have been involved).

[Saffron]

TE44 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There is nothing stopping communication between

> the child and parent,

Actually, the level of communication (i.e., understanding) is set both by the child's age and relative intelligence, no? Therefore the depth of communication is effectively 'stopped' by the ceiling of understanding.

> i'd imagine there

> may have been some people grateful, whos children

> will not accept there reasons for not buying

> things. and

> feel to keep the child happy will give in almost

> every time.

Maybe some people are grateful. But others are upset and disturbed, including children. Shouldn't the gallery/artist have given this more consideration before deliberately putting into a public area, an exhibit which could cause considerable distress to some individuals of a vulnerable population?

(Or maybe they did consider this, and they did it anyway. Maybe they DID CONSIDER that this had the POTENTIAL TO UPSET YOUNG CHILDREN, and they DID IT ANYWAY in public. That's just creepy any way you slice it!)

[TE44]

For a child who was asked which balloon they wanted from there parent, i can understand them being upset,but when the parent realises there not for sale, regardless of how disturbed they may feel,would a child feel the same or

wouldnt it just be a case of not getting something they expected. I take my grandchild to Southbank because we

never know whats gonna be there and a chance we'll see something different.I find it more creepy that we live

in a society that bombarbs kids with adverts, again especially at christmas, where many parents are .disturbed because they cant afford it. of course this doesn't just apply to this time of year.

My grandchild is 5 now so yes Saffron age would come into it shes old enough to be told its only a balloon, I thoughht she was selling, my mistake.

[Otta]

My daughter was more concerned about the fact the lady wouldn't talk to us than the fact she didn't get the balloon. That's what she remembered the next day.

[TE44]

Otta living in London especially up the west end, I found that people ignoring children is a problem, I kknow its

differnt when you attemt to speak to someone. When my kids were little, people would bang into them, and when I tried

to point it out many would look like I shouldn't be there.

As you child can convey what upset her im sure she would understand whatever explaination you gave her.

Its difficult when you encounter something that upsets your child but I can't help wondering

why you went back to this woman after you got money when it was obvious from the beginning she was not going to interact.

[Otta]

I was thinking "surely they wouldn't do that with a big bunch of kids balloons", and I wondered whether maybe she didn't speak English, so I figured I'd try to communicate with the international language of cold hard cash.

I think it's great that you're in to all this stuff TE44, but several people have told you why they'd have an issue with this particular aspect of it.

[TE44]

I don't have an issue with others having an issue Otta, I'm only saying how I see it, it sorts warms me to think money

isn't an international language at times, don't quite understand what you mean by all this stuff.

[Otta]

Performance art.

[TE44]

Yeah, its all fine sharing there ideas on performing outside but aren't they also advertising, albeit more

subtly. shame they couldn't incorprate there principals on capitalism into there own exhibition and done a

couple of donation only days, who knows, they might have gotta surprise.

oops forgot to add this

http://seedcreativenetwork.co.uk/articles/2014/10/mirrorcity_hayward_gallery