185 EMPTY WHITE CHAIRS CHRISTCHURCH

A remembrance display removed in 2023, originally reflecting on 22nd February 2011

The concept of The Empty Chair depicting the loss of someone has been used repeatedly across time and cultures.

The installation consisted of 185 white chairs, each one different, representing the individuality of those who died as a result of the Christchurch earthquake on 22nd February 2011.

The chairs were all ordinary, everyday chairs that had been hand-painted with two coats of paint and placed on 185 square metres of ready-lawn. They were initially placed on the site of Oxford Terrace Baptist Church for the first anniversary of the earthquake, but were last placed, diagonally opposite the Christchurch CTV building site, since October 2012.

The chairs were acquired from a number of sources:

Many were purchased from Trade Me while others were donated by victims' families, friends and work colleagues.  The individuality of each chair paid tribute to the uniqueness of each person represented. From a baby capsule to a rocking chair, an office chair to a wheelchair, each chair is representative of different ages and stages of life and various cultures. The installation resonated with people by the ordinary, everyday nature of the chairs.  For instance, although nobody was killed in a wheelchair, 3 people have ended up in one and people have commented that they felt 'crippled' by the earthquakes. Everybody can find a chair, or series of chairs, that they can identify with.

The installation became a place for people to reflect on the earthquake in Christchurch and the the loss of lives, livelihood and way of life.

As memories of the events of the Christchurch earthquake fade, the installation remained as an ongoing place of reflection and acknowledgement of loss until its removal in 2023.

Art is open to interpretation, and art can transcend a specific event.  It can speak to us, and speak for us, when we have no words to express how we feel.