Thursday, December 14, 2006
8 christmas presents
8 shipping containers, each wrapped in 40 metres of fabric to suggest a Christmas present. Each placed in the centre of Christchurch, around the Christchurch tourist tram route. Inside each is an interactive art installation, telling part of the Christmas story;
container 1, God of the Universe come to earth in Cathedral Square;
container 2, enforced family get-together, on Worcester St Bridge;
container 3, angels and ordinary people and a Kiwi musterers hut, Art Gallery;
container 4, the stable, Arts Centre;
container 5, consumerism, outside Museum;
container 6, suffering of innocents, at Armagh St, Bridge;
contianer 7, moving on with a refuge theme, Cramner Square;
contianer 8, our response as a chapel in Victoria Square;
Open from 10 am to 9 pm (hours of the Christchurch tram), from Saturday December 16-Sunday December 24.
This is part of Opawa Baptist and Side Door Arts Trust gift to the city in 2006. This is public mission, taking Jesus back out of church and telling his story in our marketplace, in the City Square and outside the Art Gallery and Museum.
After months of negotiation, we gained Council permission 3 weeks ago. We have been scrambling ever since. In an ideal world, each container would have a person at the door, to offer welcome and provide security. If there are any Christchurch readers of my blog that have 4 spare hours between now and Christmas, please email me, steve at emergentkiwi dot org dot nz, as we desperately need volunteers.
)
Fantastic!
Comment by Jo — December 14, 2006 @ 8:03 pm
love the concept
and Christchurch is the perfect place for it
if I could get there I would help man the installations every day!
Comment by Kel — December 14, 2006 @ 10:28 pm
Awesome, great idea, I wish I could see it!
Comment by Mark Berry — December 15, 2006 @ 12:54 am
Absolutely brilliant! Well done for pulling it off.
Comment by Benedictine Baptist — December 15, 2006 @ 10:12 am
Wow. This really sets the standard in making the Christmas story accessible in public places. Well done for your persistence.
Comment by Tim Abbott — December 16, 2006 @ 12:58 am
Just awesome… if only we could…
Comment by sally — December 16, 2006 @ 12:02 pm
I’ll join the chorus of “sorry but Chch is too far away!”s.
Sounds great, once you have finished could you “walk us through it” maybe with photos…
Comment by tim bulkeley — December 19, 2006 @ 3:42 pm
This is fantastic Steve! I guess the Majendie’s are heavily involved in it too – it has their mark!! If I could afford the airfare I’d be there in a shot to help out (and enjoy better weather!!)
Hope and pray it has the effect that it potentially can have!
Comment by Malcolm — December 20, 2006 @ 11:33 pm
Would love some photos – any chance of a Flikr set? Seriously wondering about something round here next year – although shipping containers may not go down so well on our narrow residential streets!! :o)
Brilliant stuff.
Comment by Richard Frank — December 21, 2006 @ 3:37 am
thanks folks. it has rained torrentially here in Christchurch for the last 24 hours, interspersed with hail. praise God for containers that you can lock and leave, allowing each installation to remain dry. However, it is not good for visitors, who don’t tend to linger amid hailstones.
Comment by steve — December 21, 2006 @ 5:52 pm
Brilliant idea. Getting Jesus out and about is where it’s at!
Comment by robb — December 25, 2006 @ 9:50 am