“It’s not clear that to my information that someone in that case is actually a refugee.”

- Australian PM Scott Morrison

Breaking news that world number 1 tennis player, Djokovic was detained by Australian immigration in a Park Hotel Prison. He spent 24hrs in there, that’s 8 years & 300 and some -thing days less than refugee, Mehdi. Mehdi is an Iranian who arrived in Australia by boat when he was 15, looking for safety in our country. He is formally recognised as a refugee, however he has not been freed from the hotel prison in Melbourne for nearly 9 years. Mehdi is now 24 years old and the only reason I know his name is because of Novak Djokovic missing out on the Australian Open.

My work is exploring our PM’s statement that “it’s not clear that to my information that someone in that case is actually a refugee.”

Inspired by Baldessari, I chose to cover Scott Morrisons face with small tennis balls. The worlds “ACTUALLY A TENNIS BALL“ play to his disturbing comment that he made on 2GB Radio questioning if Mehdi was ‘actually a refugee.‘ This work is a direct response to the absurdity of Australia’s immigration policy. The light hearted nature of the work is purposely done to exacerbate Australia’s current approach to our insubstantial national identity. For me, there is an element of enjoyment in my process. How very Australian!