Clover Moore’s Cloud Arch: the $3.5m artwork lampooned on social media

BETWEEN her “space noodle” and her oversized milk crate, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has made a fine art of stirring up critics on social media.

BETWEEN her “space noodle” and her oversized milk crate, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has made a fine art of stirring up critics on social media.

Twitter users flooded the internet with mocking mock-ups and arch commentary after images of the City of Sydney’s controversial $9 million art installations were revealed.

I think the new #SydneyStatue will look great when it's decked out for Australia Day pic.twitter.com/F3wJQU0IgZ

— Reid Parker (@ReidParker_) July 29, 2014

Although some prominent art connoisseurs, including Museum of Contemporary Art director Liz Ann MacGregor, praised the three artworks short-listed, most commentators online have ridiculed the pieces.

The Cloud Arch, a $3.5 million project for which Japanese artist Junya Ishigami will be paid $2.5 million, has been likened to comic character Casper the Friendly Ghost, the buxom Jessica Rabbit, a tapeworm and even a drug-induced corruption of the famous Gateway Arch in US city St Louis.

Hmmm…. #sydneysculpture pic.twitter.com/TN7tknzDcW

— Kevin Airs (@KevinAirs442) July 29, 2014

At least it's a friendly ghost #cloudarch pic.twitter.com/LWe3exeACr

— Mackie Marsellos (@mackiemarsellos) July 29, 2014

A popular post lampooned the gigantic $2.5 million Belmore Park-bound Pavilion by upending the milk crate-shaped work on top of the Opera House.

Ms Moore herself took to Twitter this morning, writing: “Public art is meant to spark debate. Terrific Sydney is talking public art today.”

“ITS A SPACE NOODLE”, a user replied.

Many of the spoofs on Twitter tapped into simmering artistic tension and longstanding rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne - a city that claims to be the bastion of Australian art and culture.

@BreakfastNews If Sydney don't want the milk crate, Melbourne will take it. They could use it to collect all of their other oversized art.

— Kerny McTierney (@ltkw) July 29, 2014

Also: giant milk crate more a Shelbyville, er, Melbourne idea

— Anthony B (@swearyanthony) July 29, 2014

Sydney might be getting the space noodle but Melbourne already has the apple peel roundabout. #sculpture pic.twitter.com/37dpyW9Dqn

— Denham Sadler (@denhamsadler) July 29, 2014

big milk crate is more of a melbourne thing

— adam brereton (@adambrereton) July 29, 2014

St. Louis really got jealous of our #spacenoodle so here you go St. Louis #thanksclover pic.twitter.com/7yYLumpQME

— James Wilson (@jameswilson) July 29, 2014

#Melbourne has the yellow cheesestick #sydney has #spacenoodle http://t.co/8oydtqWOJ9 #sydneysculpture pic.twitter.com/UrPBq7OSNa

— Suzanne Carbone (@SuzanneCarbone) July 29, 2014

My response to @CloverMoore's Sculptures #sydneysculpture #Sydney #Auspol #nswpol #namethesculpture pic.twitter.com/lILfgAhE5U

— Adrian Rook (@adrianmrook) July 29, 2014

#sydneysculpture model? http://t.co/tFnA95azup pic.twitter.com/Nr0roXz3Sf

— Ricardo Goncalves (@BUSINESSricardo) July 29, 2014

Possible source of inspiration for #CloudArch: pic.twitter.com/s6eTqyhc5O

— Matthew Bevan (@MatthewBevan) July 29, 2014

@Steph_Coombes You know it's right! #sydneysculpture pic.twitter.com/KRg2Iaxqpd

— Lyndsay Farlow (@LyndsayFarlow) July 29, 2014

Sydney has been blessed by His Noodly Appendage #spacenoodle #FSM pic.twitter.com/618IDqVoNF

— Kieran Odinson (@Mr_Odinson) July 29, 2014

Introducing Sydney's new sculpture: The Tapeworm pic.twitter.com/7Z2Hb5esCL

— Steph Coombes (@Steph_Coombes) July 29, 2014