Tall Poppies
Melbourne’s art scene is fertile ground for Tall Poppy proliferation and carnage.
The vibrant poppy boasts what biogeographers call “cosmopolitan distribution.” This means they have high adaptability to a wide range of climates and the power to self-propagate around the world. For its connection to opiates, the poppy has been a symbol of death, sleep, and forgetfulness. But the metaphor of the “Tall Poppy” has political origins. It traces its history to Livy’s writings on the founding of Rome. In one episode, the last Roman king, Tarquin the Proud, wished to send a secret message to his son Sextus about how to deal with the leading men of the city of Gabbii. Instead of a written message, Tarquin walked through the garden and struck off the heads of the tallest poppies with his stick.
Exclusive to the Magazine
Tall Poppies by Audrey Schmidt is featured in full in Issue 1 of Memo magazine.
Get your hands on the print edition through our online shop or save up to 20% and get free domestic shipping with a subscription.
Related
Monash University’s indefinite postponement this week of an exhibition featuring Khaled Sabsabi signals a deepening crisis in Australia’s cultural institutions. In the wake of Creative Australia’s Venice Biennale reversal, we are witnessing a damaging institutional retreat from risk—where the language of care and consultation masks a quiet erosion of artistic and academic freedom.
KIRAC’s gonzo filmmaking shatters art world niceties, but their entanglement with Michel Houellebecq—novelist, provocateur, reluctant porn star—turns chaotic. As lawsuits fly and reputations fray, the real spectacle isn’t the film itself but the battle over who gets to tell the story.
