6th Scape Launches In Christchurch

The Art & Industry Biennial Trust Proudly Launched The 6th Scape
Christchurch Biennial Of Art In Public Space In Christchurch On Sunday
Just Minutes Before A Major Snow Flurry Hit The City.

After nine months of re-thinking and re-scheduling due to the
Christchurch earthquakes, the opening was not just a celebration of
new art for Christchurch, but a celebration of the fortitude and
persistence of the artists, their partners in industry and the SCAPE
team.

Originally scheduled for launch in late 2010, the core vision of 6th
SCAPE has remained the same - to produce a contemporary public art
event which excites, engages and stimulates people, encouraging them
to consider how we can achieve a more viable, populated and
environmentally sustainable inner city.

Adrienne, Lady Stewart, Governing Patron of SCAPE, Bob Blyth
(centre), Chairman of SCAPE and Philip Tremewan, Director of The
Christchurch Arts Festival enjoy the 6th SCAPE opening.

"The SCAPE team have finally thwarted the earthquakes to launch our
artworks" says Director of SCAPE, Deborah McCormick. "The artists have
created works which may give Christchurch people a new perspective on
the future development of our city. Apart from our expectation that
people will be stimulated by these works, on another level, one of the
most rewarding things for us is to see the people of Christchurch on
the streets, enjoying and investigating SCAPE public art."

After brief speeches, guests walked from Hagley Park around the 1km
loop that takes in all of the SCAPE public artworks. Five hundred red
balloons were launched into the air at Darryn George's _The Lamb's
Book of Life (Folder Wall)_ to the celebratory sounds of
Christchurch's quirky Bicycle Band.

500 balloons were released to mark the Christchurch opening of 6th
SCAPE on Sunday 14 August

The Town Crier then led guests to Ash Keating's fictional
property development installation _Gardensity_, before the group
strolled to view Turkish artist Ahmet Öğüt's gently
rotating _Waiting for a Bus_ carousel.

SCAPE Christchurch Project Teams

SCAPE would not be possible without the extraordinary collaboration
between SCAPE artists and Christchurch Industry partners.

ASH KEATING _GARDENSITY _IN COLLABORATION WITH DORIAN FARR, PATRICK
GAVIN, CHRIS TOOVEY AND DAVID CAMPBELL

Ash Keating (second right) with sponsors (from left to right)
Anthony Leighs of Leighs Construction, Peter Inder of Signtech, and
Andrew Walker of Portabuild

DARRYN GEORGE _THE LAMBS' BOOK OF LIFE (FOLDER WALL) _

Darryn George (second left) with sponsors (from left to right)
Gordon Craig of Ngai Tahu Property, Peter Inder from Signtech and Quin
Henderson of Hawkins

AHMET ÖğÜT _WAITING FOR A BUS_

(Left) Frank van Schaijik from John Jones Steel with SCAPE Director
Deborah McCormick

(Right) Philip Dawrant and Mike Eagle from Melray Electric Ltd

SCAPE ARTWORK _THE LAMBS BOOK OF LIFE (FOLDER WALL)_ SNOW DAMAGED

The heavy snowfall in Christchurch has damaged one of the SCAPE
artworks,_ The Lambs Book of Life (Folder Wall)._

The artwork is attached to the western side of the Christchurch City
Council Civic Offices in the central city.

More than 100 millimetres of snow built up on the mesh drops of the
printed artwork panels and, combined with heavy winds, damaged three
of the six panels.

Art & Industry Biennial Trust and SCAPE director Deborah McCormick
says the damage was done by highly unusual weather circumstances but
it will be quickly repaired.

"This is a minor set-back and one of many things damaged by snow,"
she says. "Fortunately, the Hawkins team working with us on the
artwork has arranged for reprinting and will have the damaged panels
up as soon as possible for everyone to enjoy again. The three
undamaged panels have been rolled up and secured to prevent further
damage from any other heavy weather which might come our way."

The artwork is a 29m x 29m printed mesh and was unveiled a week ago,
when SCAPE received huge congratulations for their efforts to bring
life back into the inner city through art activity.

The_ Lambs' Book of Life (Folder Wall)_ is both a painting and a
sculpture on an enormous scale by Christchurch artist Darryn George.
George's design is based on an internal view of a filing cabinet
drawer, with the receding label tabs of suspended folders seen as a
metaphor for the function of records and registers in Christian
theology.

ends

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