What organisation gives back upwards of $500,000, after it has been signed off by government, is in the bank and an artist has agreed to the commission? You would expect the short answer to be none. Wrong.
Last week, artist Alex Seton made public on social media that his forthcoming commission at the Hyde Park Barracks (Sydney) in 2024, had been pulled. For Seton, it was not so much the disappointment of not being able to deliver an artwork (we, in the arts, all deal with unexpected knock-backs at some point, he pointed out to ArtsHub). But, rather, his concerns over the cancellation of the broader commissioning program that had locked-in blockbuster funding under the NSW Government through to 2025, and was quickly becoming a signature of the institution driving new audiences.
