The artist Martin Creed put together the suggestion that at 08.12 we the people of Britain ring a bell for 3 minutes to celebrate the opening of the Olympic Games 12 hours later...that being 20.12. Well, I rang the back door bell and listened for others ...but no other sounds came back at me. Not even the local church with it's peal of bells that ring out every Sunday morning calling the faithful in.
This is the artist who won the Turner prize with the room that turned the lights on and off. Now actually there's a lot more to Martin Creed than this and I always think that the media response to so many of the people who win the Turner only gives a glimpse of what they are about. I googled him a while ago and was thrilled to see the paper work that he produces...so the lights, the scrap of masking tape on the wall etc. are only a tiny bit of his work and thoughts. I believe that he ahas already had a success with the bells in Italy...perhaps they are more used to bells than us or is it our reticence in not appearing rather loud?!
