A billboard displaying the phrase ‘welcome to hell’ at Hobart Airport has been removed after ‘several’ complaints.
The decision to take down the sign has left the creative director of Dark Mofo, Leigh Carmichael, disappointed and concerned about the festival’s future.
In a statement to Pulse, Carmichael said the billboard, which was ‘clearly tongue in cheek’, was intended as a playful nod to one of Dark Mofo’s key events, ‘A Divine Comedy’ by acclaimed Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger.
“There is obviously a lot of nervousness in the community about the festival after years of controversy, but this seems an overreaction.”
“Our fear is that eventually we will be forced to water down our thematics to a point that the festival becomes bland, and no longer worth doing at all.”
Dark Mofo, renowned for its audacious and unconventional artistic displays, kicks off next Thursday in Hobart.
