While my weekend was spent in a daze, catching up on sleep and going through hundreds and hundreds of photos I shot in Japan, I discovered an e-mail in my inbox this morning which has already made my week. The pressure is off for the next seven days, unless something should arise which tops this. Having totally forgot I even registered myself for this last year, I, Jonathan Velardi, will have my name in lights as part of artist and legend, John Baldessari's new work for the Sydney Festival - Strewth! In conjunction with Kaldor Public Art Projects, Your Name in Lights has given the opportunity to over one-hundred thousand participants from around the world a chance to have their names flash by a-la-Broadway for fifteen seconds. Recalling Andy Warhol's famous expression, "everyone will be famous for 15 minutes", Baldessari reflects the changing cult of celebrity in modern society with this large-scale light installation that has been installed on the Australian Museum's William Street façade. Every participant has been informed of the day and time their name will be screened. So, look out for me on Tuesday the 25th January at 21:58:40 on. the. dot.
John Baldessari: Your Name in Lights runs until the 30th January 2011 at the Australian Museum. For more information about the event or to watch my name, and one-hundred thousand others, on live stream visit Sydney Festival's official website here.
