artist:artist:project:
Free Parking
location:
Every car park shown on the JC Decaux map of central Manchester
date(s):
29 May 2003
description:
During 29 May 2003 Graham Parker intends to visit every car park in Central
Manchester - his definition of the centre being that area shown on the illuminated
maps that form part of the street furniture of Manchester and many other British
cities. On reaching each car park he intends to stand in the centre and at the
highest point of each city centre car park, facing directly away from the centre
and 'stare out' the surrounding 'liberties'. The new parking 'zones' and tariffs
in the city are an indirect articulation of Manchester's current medieval logic
of emphasisising the development and identity of the city centre (it's 'walls'
being the newly finished inner ring road) - a belated move to redress the free
market logic which begat it's hitherto uneven sprawl.