Christchurch – a tranquil place where people have seemingly built their lives around the remamnents of destruction; the result of two major earthquakes. As I wandered the city’s street aimlessly today I soon found myself dipping in and out of destruction and restoration. Some sites have been fully rebuilt and other places are sheer piles of bricks and rubble. It appears these mountains have been untouched for six years and still there is no end in sight. Roads lead to no where, buildings are cordoned off, safety zones adjacent to newly constructed offices and parks. Where in places like Shoreditch, London, shipping containers serve entrepreneurs a more affordable business space, here they are what keeps these businesses alive. The sheer determination these people must display day in and day out, giving purpose to every brick that needs laying and every beam that needs painting is admirable. Framing this city is the abundance of artwork, installations and presence of creativity. The public display of street art on the city’s old and almost forgotten walls brings them back to life. The art galleries cherish the old and the new. At first this place seems lost, deserted and parts of it seem forgotten, but behind the silence and visible destruction stands hope. Hope that the creative and determined city can once again be revived and soon be reborn. First encounters are not always what they seem. Connecting the dots to see the bigger picture is what often takes the most time.
