In 1969 in Amsterdam, The Cushion was one of many inflatable "event structures" within the everyday urban environment. Placed on a street in the city it blocked traffic, providing both a spectacle and a reason for the onlookers to participate. Such an artwork is not so much about the making of an object but more the shaping of an event and a public "situation of opportunity".
Fancy a ploughperson's lunch?
A Devon pub has made headlines after a backlash for renaming the classic British fare the ploughman's lunch to a "ploughperson's lunch". The Tors Pub was accused of being "woke" and of "cancelling" the classic ploughman's lunch dish. Dicky Harrison, the landlord of The Tors pub in the Devon village of Belstone, said they put the ploughperson's on the menu as a lighthearted nod to the women who worked in their local farming community. The plate is traditionally served cold and generally consists of bread, cheese (typically cheddar or stilton) and pickles but is often served with other accompaniments such as cold meats, apples or other fruit and scotch eggs or pork pies. One comment said: "Sorry guys, won't be visiting a 'woke' pub for my lunch. Yes, there are lots of women farmers today and I salute them, but stop changing the past." And another questioned why the pub's menu had offered "Mama's chocolate mousse", claiming all items should be gender-neutral. Harrison explained it was called this because it was his mum's recipe.
First world problems
