Summary

Sign stating "WARNING: CHECKPOINT BARKLY. YOU ARE NOW LEAVING THE COVID-FREE SECTOR", with the warning repeated in other European languages below. The sign was created in response to the 'ring fencing' of hotspot suburbs in the early days of Melbourne's second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and posted late at night July 3 on the corner of Barkly Street and Summerhill Road, Footscray just after Simms Supermarket closed (across the street). The artist was moved by the invisible lines and fractures created over night through streets, communities and families. The sign perfectly captured the building tension and unease that existed in ring-fenced suburbs. The artist has chosen to remain anonymous but has released a statement regarding the work. https://lizcrash.com/checkpoint-barkly/

Significance

In the third week of June, in his daily COVID-19 updates, Premier Daniel Andrews was reporting Melbourne 'hotspots' as the source of a spike in corona virus cases. At first these were being defined by local government boundaries of Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin but as the number rose there were calls for the suburbs to be named.

On Tuesday June 30 Daniel Andrews announced what became known as the 'hotspot suburbs' would be 'locked-down' from 11.59pm on Thursday June 2. Residents were not to leave their suburbs and everyone else was asked not to enter these postcodes. The suburbs named, ring Melbourne's North and East; originally announced as postcodes 3012, 3021, 3032, 3038, 3042, 3046, 3047, 3055, 3060 and 3064 had people scrambling to work out if they knew anyone affected.

The Checkpoint Barkly sign created in direct response to the invisible lines and fractures created over night through streets, communities and families seemed to perfectly capture the building tension and unease that existed in ring-fenced suburbs.

The sign perfectly captured the sense of unease and fear in the community, but gained greater significance as a portent within a few days. Meant as a tongue in cheek dig that if we weren't careful Melbourne could become a militarized zone, by the following day a series of Melbourne public housing blocks were forcibly locked-down by a large police presence.

It stands in to tell the story of the lead-up to that significant moment in the pandemic, how people in hot spot suburbs had felt as though they were suddenly tarnished and how one's neighbour was suddenly someone to fear because of these invisible lines. But then the towers locked down and there was a collective heartfelt pain for those communities who now, were literally being locked int. And then of course the second stay at home order and the arrival of ADF manning internal council and state border checkpoints - makes the sign seem oddly prescient.

The sign has great potential for display and whilst the artist wishes to remain anonymous we are able to secure limited non commerical licence to use the image in multiple ways.


References:

Where are Victoria's coronavirus hotspots and how are authorities dealing with them? June 21, 2020 [retrieved 21/07/2020]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-21/victorias-coronavirus-hotspots-are-all-in-melbourne/12377858

Papers, please: the story behind the 'Checkpoint Barkly' sign [retrieved 21/07/2020]
https://www.theage.com.au/culture/art-and-design/papers-please-the-story-behind-the-checkpoint-barkly-sign-20200707-p559n0.html

West Footscray COVID-19 signs chilling echo of Checkpoint Charlie as Melbourne suburb closes [retrieved 21/07/2020]
https://whatsnew2day.com/west-footscray-covid-19-signs-chilling-echo-of-checkpoint-charlie-as-melbourne-suburb-closes/

Artist Statement [retrieved 30/-7/2020]
https://lizcrash.com/checkpoint-barkly/

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