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chairs in aluminium and having them powder-coated white. It was also necessary to find a new site, as the St Paul's Church site was designated by the government for the proposed
Christchurch Stadium. Majendie favoured the CTV site for the installation. The placement at the CTV site was rejected by some of the relatives of the victims.
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was announced in May 2015, Majendie started considering the future of his temporary installation. He pondered the idea of having the chairs made into a permanent fixture. In
January 2017, Majendie firmed up on the idea and proposed to turn the temporary installation into a permanent one by casting
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The official earthquake memorial was unveiled on 22 February 2017, six years after the earthquake causing the 185 deaths, and five years after
Majendie installed his installation.
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Christchurch was struck by an earthquake on 22 February 2011 that killed 185 people. On the day of the earthquake's first memorial, local artist Peter
Majendie arranged
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reported that the artist's intention was for the memorial to stay for a week. The artist himself said later that he thought the chairs should stay for three weeks.
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site where 115 people died. It was then moved to the old St Luke's
Anglican Church site on the corner of Kilmore and Manchester streets in 2021.
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On 1 April 2023, the exhibition was closed when the artist invited people to take a chair home to disperse them around the city.
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of empty chairs, representing their owners' different personalities. When he created his artwork, Majendie was aware of the
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56:. Envisaged as a short-term installation made from chairs painted white, it became a major tourist attraction in
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185 Empty Chairs at its second site at St Paul's Church, Christchurch, to where it moved in
October 2012
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In
October 2012, the installation moved a few hundred metres south to the site of the demolished
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419:"Artist calls for 185 white chairs to become permanent memorial to Canterbury earthquake"
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447:"Some Christchurch quake victims' families say chair memorial should be scrapped"
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Majendie's main inspiration for the installation came from paintings by
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391:"Marble earthquake memorial an ironic choice, says surivor"
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that he had painted white on the site of the demolished
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80:. The day after the installation, the local newspaper
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Canterbury
Earthquake Response and Recovery Act 2010
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as the city's top landmark attraction (ahead of the
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474:"Memorial for Canterbury quake victims unveiled"
254:"Installation represents victims' personalities"
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181:"M 6.3, Christchurch, 22 February 2011"
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131:Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial
62:Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial
1777:Monuments and memorials in New Zealand
310:"Christchurch, 185 Empty White Chairs"
287:. Christchurch: Christchurch Dilemmas
226:"Remembering loss and thinking ahead"
16:Memorial in Christchurch, New Zealand
7:
1787:Outdoor sculptures in Christchurch
842:Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
751:Lyttelton Borough Council Chambers
14:
1511:Residential Demonstration Project
837:Implosion of Radio Network House
417:Small, Jamie (23 January 2017).
362:Gates, Charlie (28 March 2023).
331:Turner, Anna (29 October 2012).
281:Majendie, Peter (19 June 2017).
224:Matthews, Philip (1 July 2017).
129:When the winning design for the
1131:Christchurch Catholic Cathedral
559:Located in or near Christchurch
445:Lee, Julian (31 January 2017).
111:, and the chairs in New York's
109:Oklahoma City National Memorial
1478:Te Puna Ahurea Cultural Centre
711:Durham Street Methodist Church
284:185 White Chairs - Stay or Go?
1:
1087:Trinity Congregational Church
776:Oxford Terrace Baptist Church
389:Meier, Cecile (14 May 2015).
94:Vincent's Chair with his Pipe
78:Oxford Terrace Baptist Church
1797:2011 Christchurch earthquake
1605:Private and voluntary sector
1596:Waimakariri District Council
1466:Christchurch Bus Interchange
857:Music Centre of Christchurch
671:Christchurch Central Library
148:The American travel website
54:2011 Christchurch earthquake
1277:Associated with earthquakes
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1027:Lyttelton Timeball Station
1782:Christchurch Central City
1659:Christchurch Recovery Map
1571:Christchurch City Council
816:Westpac Canterbury Centre
666:Christchurch Bus Exchange
605:Located elsewhere causing
1490:Performing Arts Precinct
1455:(3) Christchurch Stadium
1451:Te Pae Convention Centre
1443:Margaret Mahy Playground
942:Christchurch Art Gallery
761:Lyttelton Times Building
676:Te Pae Convention Centre
333:"185 Empty Chairs moved"
1591:Selwyn District Council
1581:Regenerate Christchurch
1032:Old Government Building
947:Christ Church Cathedral
1753:43.53329°S 172.64298°E
1632:Student Volunteer Army
1215:Suburbs worst affected
962:Citizens' War Memorial
847:Central Police Station
741:Hotel Grand Chancellor
607:damage in Christchurch
312:. Side Door Arts Trust
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43:185 empty white chairs
26:
1699:Commission of Inquiry
1460:Metro Sports Facility
1189:Central City Red Zone
1121:(unofficial memorial)
1047:Public Trust Building
1012:Midland Club Building
1002:McDougall Art Gallery
982:Forsyth Barr Building
922:Bridge of Remembrance
731:Hallensteins Building
624:1888 North Canterbury
191:Earthquake Commission
105:Field of Empty Chairs
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1758:-43.53329; 172.64298
1500:(11) Health Precinct
1194:Residential red zone
1092:Victoria Clock Tower
977:Edmonds Band Rotunda
158:Christchurch Gondola
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1627:Ministry of Awesome
1622:Greening the Rubble
1535:Earthquake Memorial
1524:Innovation Precinct
1472:Avon River Precinct
1126:Cardboard Cathedral
1077:St Saviour's Chapel
1042:Peterborough Centre
992:Isaac Theatre Royal
162:Cardboard Cathedral
1403:Died in earthquake
1102:Worcester Chambers
901:Antigua Boat Sheds
482:. 22 February 2017
262:. 22 February 2012
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1505:Cricket Oval
1394:Coralie Winn
1384:Roger Sutton
1364:Mark Quigley
1339:Neil MacLean
1334:André Lovatt
1309:Antony Gough
1294:Kaila Colbin
1222:Central City
1117:
1062:Scott Statue
880:Antonio Hall
871:Damaged with
862:Twinkle Toes
811:Weston House
781:PGC Building
706:CTV Building
681:Crowne Plaza
634:1922 Motunau
629:1901 Cheviot
544:Christchurch
510:
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484:. Retrieved
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1756: /
1744:172°38′35″E
1711:Mark Cooper
1673:Legislation
1664:The Shuttle
1389:Deon Swiggs
1349:John Ombler
1329:Sam Johnson
997:Knox Church
906:Arts Centre
552:Earthquakes
546:earthquakes
504:. Facebook.
259:Stuff.co.nz
195:GNS Science
150:TripAdvisor
113:Bryant Park
1771:Categories
1741:43°32′00″S
1717:Ron Carter
1617:Gap Filler
1612:Farmy Army
1538:(official)
1484:The Square
1354:Bob Parker
1304:Ruth Dyson
1284:Ann Brower
1252:Brooklands
1247:Southshore
1237:Dallington
1182:Categories
911:Dux de Lux
830:Demolition
168:References
49:185 chairs
1638:The Press
1438:The Frame
1369:Alan Reay
1199:East Lake
1082:Town Hall
967:City Mall
894:Remaining
686:The Civic
652:Buildings
586:June 2011
566:June 1869
452:The Press
424:The Press
396:The Press
368:The Press
338:The Press
231:The Press
144:Reception
83:The Press
1652:Services
1410:Jo Giles
1374:Ken Ring
1232:Avondale
1227:Avonside
1141:Re:START
1037:Our City
160:and the
1713:(chair)
1517:TĹ«ranga
1257:Kaiapoi
374:26 July
370:. Stuff
266:2 March
68:History
1270:People
1242:Bexley
486:5 July
458:4 July
430:5 July
402:5 July
344:4 July
316:4 July
291:4 July
238:4 July
200:4 July
186:GeoNet
152:lists
1586:SCIRT
1528:(16)
1522:(15)
1515:(14)
1509:(13)
1503:(12)
1494:(10)
1150:Lists
1566:CERA
1561:CCDU
1488:(9)
1482:(8)
1476:(7)
1470:(6)
1464:(5)
1458:(4)
1449:(2)
1436:(1)
1175:Land
659:Lost
488:2017
460:2017
432:2017
404:2017
376:2023
346:2017
318:2017
293:2017
268:2012
240:2017
202:2017
193:and
1206:TC3
1111:New
40:or
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