Christchurch has been making a name for itself in recent years for the quality of street art appearing on various walls around the city, notably post quake when walls previously hidden have been revealed as the perfect artistic playground.
Last year’s Rise Street Art festival, brought to us by Oi You! – owners of the largest collection of Banksy works in the Southern Hemisphere, really got the ball rolling with some spectacular pieces by highly regarded street artists including Askew, Sofles, Roa, Beastman, BMD, Vans the Omega, Rone, Sean Duffell, Owen Dippie, Wongi and Ikarus.
Canterbury Museum cast off any vestige of staid and traditional museum-ness by hosting not only a Banksy exhibition, but also by providing numerous walls for artists to let loose on, as well as an installation by New York based Australian artist Ian Strange.
This weekend, Oi You! kicks off another exhibition called Spectrum Street Art Festival in conjunction with Canterbury Museum once again and the YMCA, which will ultimately provide a home for the Banksy collection. Running from February 14 till May 10, 2015 this will be a must see for locals and visitors alike.
In August 2014, earthquake damaged 38 Cranford Street was offered up by its owners for the full graffiti treatment, before being demolished to make way for a new build. This was a house with a personal connection for me, my first flatting experience, so we made a special effort to drop by on one of the open days to check out the artwork.
It was awesome to know that the house will live on as the backdrop for at least one music vid, the location for a scarey short film and in the numerous photos and media stories taken before demolition got underway.
Wow what an amazing project! Often on visits to Christchurch I’ve been struck by the street art popping up amongst the demolition. Without the colourful murals adding life the CBD would be a bleak place indeed. It’s awesome to see street art being supported and used to reinvigorate Christchurch.