An art exhibition depicting graphic sexual acts has been shut down following complaints from angry locals.
The exhibition called ‘F*** Yeah’ was due to go on display from October 17 to Tuesday in Newtown, in Sydney’s inner west.
Artist Roleszy had booked the creative space Studio 551.
The artwork depicted nude or partially nude figures with explicit depictions of sexual acts and stylized depictions of genitalia.
Several passersby expressed their frustration on Facebook after complaining about being able to see the artwork through the windows.
One explained that she was a mother and was walking home from dinner with her school-aged daughter when she was confronted by the display.
Following numerous complaints, New South Wales police inspected the art exhibit, prompting the artist to remove the works on Sunday.
Daily Mail Australia understands that the problem was not with the artworks, but with the fact that they were visible from the street.
An art exhibition in Sydney’s Newtown, in Sydney’s inner west, has been closed following complaints from locals.
The F*** Yeah exhibition featured nude or partially nude figures with explicit depictions of sexual acts and stylized depictions of genitalia.
‘On 19 October 2024, following a series of complaints from the public about the display of artwork at a studio in King Street, Newtown, officers from the Inner West Police Area Command spoke to the owner of the premises, who placed mosquito nets on the windows. said a spokesperson.
Studio 551 complied with police requests and took immediate action to prevent the artwork from being visible from the street.
A Studio 551 spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the venue was often rented out and could be used for anything from a pop-up shop to a venue for an exhibition.
“The relationship with the tenant is purely landlord-tenant,” he said.
‘We do not determine what the tenant does in the space and they are solely responsible for what is displayed.
‘On Saturday afternoon we received a call from the police to tell us that they had received complaints about the works that were exhibited in the space.
‘We attended the site with the officer in charge and it was determined that the work on display could not be seen from the street but could remain on display.
“We took immediate action to block all street-facing windows to ensure the work was not visible from the outside of the building.”
The spokeswoman said the artist was notified of Studio 551’s actions.
The artist decided to close the exhibition after the police arrived.
“He then contacted the police and after that discussion decided to remove the work completely,” he said.
‘The work was completely removed from the space on Sunday morning. This was all carried out very amicably and resolved very quickly.
“We will take steps to ensure something like this never happens again.”
Social media users mixed in with some defending the exhibition.
“I grew up in Newtown and from a young age there was always going to be a place where you could be yourself and no one gave a damn, but unfortunately there isn’t anymore,” one wrote.
“I watched the other night and I admit my eyebrows raised when I saw the content: huge canvases of not only sex, but kinky/BDSM sex, including choking,” added another.
‘I thought to myself “well, it’s Newtown!” and I went on my way… it’s quite an intense thing, especially for a child/even a teenager, to look inward and see too.’
A mother said she was returning from dinner with her daughter.
“I asked my daughter how she felt about the images and she said, a little abusive to be honest,” she wrote.
‘I would like to consider myself progressive, but why do I feel that these images are an attack on me and on women who have to see them without looking for them?
‘And what are they trying to say with these images? They are not represented exactly like the statue of David, if you know what I mean.
Another called the exhibit “super disgusting.”
“It’s violent, graphic and disgusting,” he wrote.
“It’s super heteronormative and objectifies the women who are the subjects.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Roleszy for comment.