9 minute read
WALL STORIES
Pulling a positive out of the dramatic transformation of the city landscape forced by the earthquakes, the resulting abundance of large-scale art has made Ōtautahi a gigantic outdoor gallery that’s crammed with photo ops.
Things kicked off with the successful Rise (2014) and Spectrum Street art festivals (2015-16) and their ‘Big Walls’ projects. When the annual Spectrum festival wrapped up in 2016, the Street Prints Ōtautahi festival picked up the ball and ran with it, celebrating not only street art but street dance, theatre and music as well. The new festival added to Christchurch’s already impressive collection of large-scale street murals, which continue to delight visitors and have seen Christchurch named one of the world’s street art capitals alongside New York, Barcelona, Berlin and London by Lonely Planet’s Street Art.
And it’s not just random tagging, either. The city’s transformation of blank walls into stunning
Street art WALL STORIES
Christchurch’s rejuvenated inner city has created one of the world’s best canvases for street art.
— 01 — works of art has featured a veritable roll call of world-renowned street artists including Askew One, Beastman, Flox, Vans the Omega, Fin DAC, Kevin Ledo, ROA, Rone, Anthony Lister, BMD, Eno and more, including local artist Wongi Wilson.
You won’t go far in Christchurch before coming across some of Wilson’s artwork – the Christchurch-based graffiti/street artist has painted hundreds of pieces all over the city. Based in the suburb of Sydenham, where he grew up, Wongi played a major part in Christchurch’s post-quake street art boom, with his work as both an exhibiting and commissioned artist popping up on interior and exterior walls around the city, as well as in institutions such as the Canterbury Museum and the CoCA gallery. Using the old-skool spray can method, Wongi mixes styles from photorealism to traditional street art/graffiti, resulting in colourful, spectacular and visuallyarresting pieces that leap off the wall.
Be sure to check out the spectacular word picture I Always Knew You Would Come Back by Sydney-based Australian artist Numskull at the corner of Colombo and Tuam streets. The phrase — 02 —
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01 — Kaitaki by Fin DAC, Hereford Street 02 — Resilient by Dcypher, Plymouth Lane 03 — Unnamed by Cracked Ink, Hereford Street 04 — I Always Knew You Would Come Back by Numskull, cnr Tuam and Colombo Streets 05 — Giant Spray Cans by Various Artists (inc. Wongi Wilson & Jacob Yikes), East Frame 06 — Whero O Te Rangi Bailey by Kevin Ledo, Armagh Street 07 — Rise From the Rubble by Brandon Warrell, Hereford Street 08 — Unnamed by Jacob Yikes, Tuam Street
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was the winning entry in a competition that set out to capture the way Christchurch people felt about their city. Winner Hannah Herchenbach, who beat over 400 other entries, has described her immortalised phrase as “a bit of romance in the rubble”, and the inspiring, open-tointerpretation words and the visual treatment they have received have become a favourite with locals.
As the rebuild continues, many pieces are being hidden or are less obvious, while new pieces are being added all the time – so it pays to keep an eye out and your camera handy when you’re wandering Christchurch’s city streets. — 05 —
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QUAKE CITY ATTRACTION
Quake City tells stories of heroism, hope and loss from the Canterbury earthquakes – the devastating series of seismic events that rocked the region in 2010 and 2011. Buildings collapsed, roads ruptured and properties were buried under liquefaction – silt and sand that bubbled up from beneath the earth in the shaking. 185 people were killed and several thousand injured in the most devastating shake on 22 February 2011. At Quake City, a special exhibition by Canterbury Museum, visitors will hear first-hand accounts of the earthquakes and see the extraordinary responses of emergency services, international rescue teams and thousands of volunteers. Displays highlight what life was like for Canterbury residents in the aftermath of the earthquakes, when access to power, clean water and sanitation became complicated. Hands-on exhibits explain the science behind earthquakes, and the causes and impacts of liquefaction. A visit to Quake City is essential for visitors who want to understand Christchurch today. Adults $20, Children $8, Concession $16. Children under 15 free with an adult. 299 Durham Street North, Central City 03 365 8375 Open daily except Christmas Day, 10:00am to 5:00pm canterburymuseum.com/whats-on/quake-city/
CANTERBURY MUSEUM ATTRACTION
Canterbury Museum is the South Island’s most popular indoor visitor attraction, with displays featuring the natural history of Canterbury, the people who have made it home and the region’s connection to Antarctica. Located in the historic heart of the city since 1870, the museum has a world-class collection, which is showcased in its permanent displays. It also regularly stages temporary local and international exhibitions. The Māori galleries display pounamu (greenstone) and other treasures and tools from Canterbury’s first people. Visitors to the museum’s re-creation of the world-famous Fred & Myrtle’s Pāua Shell House will see more than 1,000 pāua shells adorning the living room walls of this unique Kiwi couple’s house. A replica 19th Century Christchurch street gives you a glimpse of the city’s past, while the Antarctic Gallery displays highlights from one of the world’s most significant Antarctic collections. A gift shop and café are onsite and tours run daily at 2:00pm; book online or at the museum. Check out the website for details of temporary exhibitions and public programmes. Entry is free but donations are appreciated. Rolleston Avenue, Central City. 03 366 5000 Open daily except Christmas Day, 9:00am to 5:00pm (5:30pm in summer) canterburymuseum.com
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No trip to Christchurch is complete without a visit to Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. Experience incredible art, express your creativity through art courses and workshops, attend an artist talk, event or activity and explore your world in a new way through art. After you’ve visited the current shows, you can browse the ever-changing range of creative products in the Design Store or head to Universo café to sample a delicious selection of food and beverages.
FRANCES HODGKINS: EUROPEAN JOURNEYS Until 1 June 2020 Following the trail of an inspired, inveterate traveller, this long-awaited survey exhibition celebrates Frances Hodgkins’ place in 20th Century European art. Tracing the artist’s frequently nomadic life from her upbringing in Dunedin, through France, Morocco and Spain to her final days in England, it examines the influence of location on her development as a modernist painter, and of travel as a vital source of inspiration. Developed and toured by Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki as part of the Frances Hodgkins project, the exhibition brings together works from New Zealand and international collections.
UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE 7 March – 19 July 2020 New and recent works by early-career artists are showcased in an exhibition provoking feelings of doubt and unease, revealing how we look and why that can leave us vulnerable. Curated by Holly Best as part of our emerging artist series, Uncomfortable Silence features a large-scale installation, sculpture, painting, photography and video works by artists Jayden Plank, Meg Porteous, Johanna Mechen, Ammon Ngakuru, Shiraz Sadikeen, Mark Schroder, Clare Logan and Elisabeth Pointon. Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū has a tradition of supporting the work of young and emerging artists by curating group exhibitions.
01 — Frances Hodgkins Untitled [The Watermelon Seller] c. 1903. Watercolour. Collection of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2007. 02 — Shiraz Sadikeen Geist 1 (detail) 2019. Cast polyurethane resin, white appliance paint, polished hand-wrought nails. Collection of the artist.
Cnr Worcester Boulevard & Montreal Street, Central City 03 941 7300 Open 10am – 5pm, 7 days (– 9pm Wed) christchurchartgallery.org.nz
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THE COURT THEATRE THEATRE
Tucked in Addington, you’ll find the South Island’s largest theatre company where a magical world of happiness, laughter, drama and intrigue awaits you. A Christchurch institution for almost 50 years, The Court Theatre offers entertainment for everyone with a range of shows to suit all tastes, whether you’re a comedy lover, drama fiend or musical fanatic. Presenting world-class entertainment, The Court puts on around 20 productions each year, ranging from intimate solo performances through to blockbuster musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar, with international sensation Rent opening in winter! Beyond its performance offerings, the theatre is also known for its education programme as well as its corporate entertainment options provided by comedy troupe The Court Jesters. The Jesters are best known for their improvised show Scared Scriptless, the longest-running late-night comedy show in Aotearoa, which is on every Friday and Saturday at 10:15pm. Make a night of it by enjoying BASE @ The Court’s delicious woodfired pizza and a drink or two from the theatre’s fully licensed bar Giesens @ The Court!
REGULAR SHOWS
Scared Scriptless Every Friday and Saturday at 10:15pm Combining the wit of stand-up and the exhilaration of theatre, Scared Scriptless brings together the city’s fastest and funniest comedians to perform. This improvised comedy show will have you doubled over in laughter.
The Early Late Show The first Sunday of each month at 4pm An unmissable improv comedy show for tweenagers both your 12- and seven-year-old will enjoy. Performed by the clever Court Jesters, the cast will create scenes, stories and songs on the spot with nothing but your ideas to inspire them.
01 — Audiences entering The Court Theatre’s auditorium 02 — Fresh Off the Boat, 2019 –Danielle Colvin Photography 03 — Jesus Christ Superstar, 2019 –Danielle Colvin Photography 04 — Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 2019 Danielle Colvin Photography 05 — BASE @ The Court’s mouthwatering pizza 06 — Audiences sharing a laugh at comedy show Scared Scriptless
