Remember exhibit unveiled for fourth anniversary of Christchurch earthquake

Te Papa has unveiled Remember, a temporary exhibit to mark the fourth anniversary of the Canterbury earthquakes.

The commemorative exhibit features an audio-visual display of photographs sourced from the CEISMIC Canterbury Earthquake Digital Archive and a collection of objects made from recycled earthquake materials.

“This special exhibit reminds us of the destruction, but also the resilience and creativity of those rebuilding their city and communities in Canterbury,” Te Papa’s Chief Executive Rick Ellis says.

Te Papa Senior History Curator Claire Regnault says most of the 45 photographs have not been widely viewed previously.

“Many of the photographs were taken by people in the community rather than press photographers, so they provide a fresh perspective on the earthquakes,” Ms Regnault says.

The photographs span from the September 2010 earthquake right through to the recent recovery and revitalisation initiatives.

The exhibit also includes a Rekindle chair, made from wood recovered from the Mt Pleasant Presbyterian Church, and four brooches by Jacqui Chan, made from materials sourced from the Burwood Resource Recovery Park.

“We wanted the exhibit to highlight the way people are taking elements of old Christchurch and using those materials to create something new for today – it’s another form of remembering.

“These items are just some of the objects Te Papa has been collecting to document the impact of the earthquakes on both a local and national level. Rekindle is one of a number of creative projects to emerge from the city in response to the disaster and its aftermath,” Ms Regnault says.

Te Papa’s National Services Te Paerangi and the Friends of Te Papa have also renewed funding for an administrator at the Canterbury Cultural Collections Recovery Centre. The Centre was set up to house, restore and rehabilitate heritage and cultural collections affected by the Canterbury earthquakes. The administrator provides hands-on help with photographing, cataloguing, and storing treasures from the region’s cultural organisations.

Remember is open from 20 February to 22 March 2015 at Te Papa, Level 2, free entry.

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