Fun Run

Art Vs Sport: does that old doozy even have any traction these days? The thousands of slightly baffled passers-by who stumbled on this hilarious event in the City Square last weekend were unsure as to which they were witnessing. Local artist Tristan Meecham re-created Pheidippides’ first ever marathon by running 42 kilometers on a treadmill over four hours, but surrounded himself with the kind of spectacle reserved for a big sporting event of corporate showcase: dancers, cheerleaders, gymnasts, cyclists, DJ’s and a light and sound show that could be heard from blocks away. Part durational live art; part comment on the commodification of athletic prowess; all terrific fun. The Sunday Age Newspaper.

Aviator sunglasses and nipple pasties aren’t normal pieces of marathon running equipment but this performance succeeded in amalgamating durational performance practices of the 1970’s (while injecting them with humour), subversive gender antics, a critique of celebrity culture (his self-positioning as a rock star-like protagonist with a hero’s narrative ‘arc’ follows on the heels of marathon-running celebrities such as Oprah and P Diddy) and an examination (or was it pure celebration) of public spectacle (some 7000 people are estimated to have seen the CBD performance, the vast majority of whom would presumably not have known of the event beforehand). Dylan Rainforth- Artlink Magazine.

And it was fun. What fun. You could hear it from blocks away. But what made this event so curiouslysubversive was the lack of cues that clued us in that it was Art. Countless passersby wondered what they were watching – a charity event? A corporate stunt? A sporting spectacle? It was all of these things, kind of, or parodies of each. It definitely involved the city in a truly remarkable way, and as the sun set and the runner entered the final leg of the race the atmosphere was electric among onlookers still none the wiser as to why they were even there. A gold medal affair. John Bailey- The Age Newspaper

FUN RUN was a joyous, twisted and highly entertaining event that had a magnetic effect on Melbourne city-goers. Like moths to a flame, shoppers, wedding-parties, skateboarders and tourists flocked to City Square to watch Humphrey’s spectacular, if not extreme, endurance performance. Like rabid sportsfans, the audience became implicated in Humphrey’s physical and psychological journey, standing by as moral supporters and witnesses for a work that interrogated ideas of ritual, endurance, attention-span, community-building, altering states of consciousness, boundaries between public and private, narrative, linearity and transformation. Ulanda Blair, Curator ACMI

FUN RUN was one of the most successful, intriguing acts of public contemporary performance I have seen in a very long time. Fantastically, it bore no frame as “art”, allowing a genuine engagement from completely diverse range of audiences, who explored it for what it was, not what they presumed it to be. It was intriguing, bold and considered contemporary performance, completely accessible to a broad audience. I loved it. Emily Sexton Next Wave Festival Director

Fun Run was spectacular, exciting, amazing, thrilling, and also very gladiatorial. There was an endless rotation of ‘half time’ entertainment: gymnastics, bike riders, slightly scary aerobic ladies and very hot contemporary dancers. Most of all, it was thrilling watching the runner. We wondered if he would survive the grueling 42kilometres (surely he could not? And, also, why is he orange?). As the marathon continued, more and more spellbound people gathered together to watch. The final few kilometres, indeed the final 500 metres, became an intense public experience: a huge crowd of Melbournians literally jumped up and down together, cheering in great celebration of one man’s giant achievement. It was a genuinely euphoric occasion (and also extremely funny). Phip Murray, Director West Space Gallery