Wednesday, August 28, 2013

185 Empty Chairs


Returning to Christchurch this month was pretty confronting, seeing the devastation of the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 and the ongoing state of disrepair of the city. Memories of my visit with Mum back in 2009 made the experience of walking through what felt like a ghost town now all the more.

As I walked around the rubble, nothing was as powerful as the art installation named 185 Empty Chairs.

Out in the open, these chairs, all white, are placed to represent each person lost as a result of the February 2011 earthquake.

All kinds of chairs, which is a moving representation of the ages and range of people the quake took. Some of the chairs in the installation actually belonged to the person for whom it represents.

As Christchurch works away at recovery and the rebuild, this art is a strong symbol of what happened, and the impact these natural forces have had on the city.

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