Watch This Space – Thoughtful reflections on the ever evolving street art, murals and graffiti scene in Christchurch, New Zealand

Lighting an Icon for Puanga Matariki – Flare Ōtautahi Street Art Festival, Offline Collective and Christ Church Cathedral Present Hurihanga

As part of Ōtautahi’s Matariki celebrations, the city’s most iconic heritage building has been illuminated by a powerful projection created by the Offline Collective’s Sam Emerson (Ngāi Tahu) in collaboration with collective members Michael Duggan and Charlie Pitts. Presented by Flare Ōtautahi Street Art Festival, the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Project and Offline Collective, Hurihanga transforms the Cathedral’s exterior into a canvas of light, honouring stories of renewal, remembrance, and whakapapa through breathtaking visuals and mātauranga Māori.

An evocative public activation that invites pause, wonder, reflection, conversation and connection, Hurihanga adds meaningful layers to the famed Cathedral to reflect Ōtautahi’s navigation of our past, present and future to reveal our connections to place and each other in recognition of Matariki.

Offline Collective is an Ōtautahi based creative studio specialising in motion graphics, live visuals and immersive installations. Blending design, art and technology, Offline Collective craft bold, immersive visual experiences that integrate cultural narratives into contemporary digital art across a variety of platforms.

Led by Sam Emerson, one of Aotearoa’s most respected digital artists and producers, Offline Collective created Hurihanga to reflect ancestral stories and the significance of Puaka, the star to which Te Waipounamu looks for Matariki. The brightest star in Tautoru (Orion’s Belt), in Māori mythology Puaka’s appearance means Te Waka o Raki is rising to bring loved ones to their final resting place in the celestial kingdom, a reminder to acknowledge those who came before us, but also to celebrate the present, and to dream for the future. Hurihanga harnesses this wairua and draws on the symbolism of the cycles of time, of wind, rain, lightning and the growing, harvesting and storage of food, to create a sprawling, transformative story that takes viewers on a journey far beyond the physical setting.

Suggesting the power of art and the diverse ways we can creatively activate our shared landscape, through the powerful lens of te Aō Māori imagery and storytelling, Hurihanga is a must see! Explore a new way of seeing the heart of the city this winter with this striking collaboration!

Hurihanga has been made possible with the support of a number of donors who supported the Boosted campaign – highlighting the power of community!

Ghost Stories: Ghostcat’s Ghosts on Every Corner Project and the Memories of a City

I might be a bit biased (Disclaimer: I was the author of the Ghosts on Every Corner book and have been involved in the project since it’s initial genesis), but it is hard to go past Ghosts on Every Corner as one of the most impactful art projects to emerge from Ōtautahi in 2025. Numbers generally don’t lie – tentative counts suggests more than 10,000 people visited the Pūmanawa Gallery space at the Arts Centre in the five week run that Ghostcat’s scratch-built recreations were on display, a huge figure for an independent project. Additionally, the book documenting and expanding the project, featuring striking photography by the super talented Dave Richards, has proven popular, selling more than 700 copies on pre-order before being placed on the bookshelves of retail outlets. It would be fair to say that Ghosts on Every Corner struck a chord.

What made this project so impactful? The foundations are, of course, found in Ghostcat’s incredible ability to craft his work as intricately detailed, seemingly lived-in constructions, weathered and layered in a way that invites deep consideration and a sense of familiar experience. Despite their small size, they feel like places we can inhabit, they feel real and are tangible and tactile, a quality that is increasingly important in a world dominated by the potential of digital and AI-created imagery. To witness people scanning these works of art, leaning in, invited to remember their connection to these places, was to see the way people associated with the these works of art and their purpose.

The second layer was obviously the role of nostalgia, and encouraging people to consider the role these places, tattoo parlours, record stores, video game arcades, cafes, shaped our lives, collectively and individually. People have remarked about the way Ghosts on Every Corner allowed them to reminisce, but also to reconcile their connection to place, to properly farewell these places after losing many in a very abrupt manner (it is worth pointing out that not all of these places were destroyed in the earthquakes – some had already evolved into new forms by 2010/2011, affected by forces of commerce and social trends). Countless visitors recounted their personal attachments to place, both those in the exhibition and locations beyond the show’s scope. This reflected the project’s intention to be both highly specific and yet, universally evocative. While Ghosts on Every Corner spotlit local memories, it also can be considered as a lens to reflect on the corner stores, the food joints, the video stores, that everyone knew growing up – not just in Ōtautahi, but in any town or city across Aotearoa and the world. Ghosts on Every Corner acknowledges that places shape us and give us identity and community. Change does not have to be expedited by a natural disaster, change is inevitable, sometimes gradual, sometimes internal, but always inevitable.

This sense of connection is another key layer to Ghosts on Every Corner. The project was built upon conversation, upon a recognition of community. Whether it was friends, family, workplaces, sub-cultures, or disparate crowds, the stories of Ghosts on Every Corner revel in the coming together of people. Reflecting this, the project was shaped by input from a wide range of people – from suggestions of places for Ghostcat to build, to the stories and recollections gathered for the book’s chapters. Ghosts on Every Corner was created by a larger community. People have seen themselves as part of the creation, they have felt connected to the outcomes. This layered quality, this ability to connect with people is where Ghosts on Every Corner gains its potency. A touching, celebratory project, it has made people smile, cry, dream and talk. That seems like a truly valuable impact.

The Ghosts on Every Corner book is now available in selected book stores.

FILTH Crew – Trains, Plains, and a Lasting Legacy…

The legendary FILTH Crew are the latest artists to transform the ‘permanent’ Giant Cans on St Asaph Street! In late May, Morks, Lurq and Tepid added some fresh funk with their collaborative production that references so many of the things that have shaped this long-running, one-of-a-kind creative collective. While the cylindrical cans present a unique proposition and challenge, the FILTH Crew have long made use of unusual surfaces and environments – from city walls, to trains, to the surroundings of Te Wai Pounamu’s rivers and plains. In their work for the Giant Cans, these influences are made clear, as we found out from Morks:

“Our concept for the cans was to match all three cans. We wanted to represent the South Island, using the Southern Alps and Canterbury Plains. We chose the colour blue for the ‘FILTHS’ signature font up at the top of the cans, to represent the Southern Alps, which appear inside the letters. Our pieces’ colour schemes were based on and influenced by pounamu, being endemic to the South Island. We brought in elements of the West Coast, Fiordland, Western Southland and the Nelson Districts as well. We added the harakeke overlapping the pieces to bring all the elements of South onto the cans.” The effect is lively, meaningful and evocative of the surrounding environment just beyond the city’s doorstep. The production feels proudly familiar.

While the circular form was challenging, the cans also presented an opportunity to think around how to encourage the viewer to look at the overall picture. Morks continues: “We started from the top and worked our way towards the bottom. The round surface was challenging. We wanted our pieces to wrap around the whole can to create a flow. When you stand on a certain angle, the Southern Alps align like they would in real life.”

The work brings together so many elements that have influenced the FILTHS Crew over their long history – identifying their unique status as a collective that looks a little bit differently at the world around them. “For 25 years we have been consistently active on the rail system, from wagons, trackside, bridges, stations. You see our names. Staying consistent gives us the ability to replicate our process of getting up with the same level and quality over and over again, consistency is what transforms average into excellence.” That consistency has ensured that the FILTHS’ legacy is widely respected.

Marking their lengthy existence, the crew has exciting plans for their quarter century milestone: “The FILTHS’ 25 Years as a Crew Exhibition will give an insight into the history of South Island graffiti. The show will present like a timeline, or history lesson. There will be a lot of art on display, from early sketches, photos, drawings, limited edition t-shirts, model trains, and a feature wall of original 6×4 photos of 500 Spacerunner photos that have never been seen.” This approach will ensure the exhibition is a must-see – stay tuned for more information!

In the meantime, check out the FILTHS’ contribution to the Giant Cans on St Asaph and get inspired!

River Jayden’s Te Pūrakau ā Tiki rāua ko Tūtānekai – Celebrating Identity and Reclaiming Space…

Created across several weeks in late March and early April, as a celebration of Pride Month, Te Pūrakau ā Tiki rāua ko Tūtānekai – The Story of Tiki and Tūtānekai was designed and conceived by artist River Jayden (Ngāti Tahu – Ngāti Whaoa, Ngāti Maniapoto), and executed by Jayden with support from a small group of local takatāpui rangatahi.

The work forms part of the existing collection of artworks enlivening the hoardings along Worcester Bouvelard that frame Te Matatiki Toi Ora – The Arts Centre – joining murals by Mr G, Monti Masiu and Kophie Su’a-Hulsbosch that provide a spectrum of narratives around culture and identity.

Jayden’s work features sprawling multi-coloured kōwhaiwhai on either side of a lively manaia character and hand-painted text reading Te pūrākau ā Tiki rāua ko Tūtanekai (The story of Tiki and Tūtānekai) to the left, and “Ka mate ahau I te aroha ki toku hoa, ki a Tiki” – Tūtānekai’s declaration that “I am stricken with love for my friend, for Tiki” to the right.

The work illuminates the often-obscured narrative of the love between Tūtānekai and his male companion Tiki. A celebration of rainbow and takatāpui identity, and a challenge to “colonial narratives from the 1800s—a time when missionaries and settlers tried to strip us of our mātauranga, our ways of being, and our expressions of love and identity.” Jayden explains that the work centres Māori identity and “our diverse expressions of sexuality—something that was once natural and visible within our communities.”

Jayden reasons that this story has been overshadowed by the relationship between Tūtānekai and Hinemoa: “this part of the story was silenced under the pressures of Christian missionary influence and colonisation. Yet takatāpui identities have always existed in te ao Māori. They live in our whakapapa, our whakairo, our mōteatea—woven into the fabric of who we are.”

Jayden’s work is an act of reclaiming stories and space, and in Te pūrākau ā Tiki rāua ko Tūtanekai, the narrative is reinforced by the juxtaposition against the neo-gothic architecture, a reminder of Ōtautahi’s ongoing reconciliation of its bi-cultural identity and history post-quake.

Te pūrākau ā Tiki rāua ko Tūtanekai was made possible with support from Te Matatiki Toi Ora – The Arts Centre, Watch This Space, Flare Ōtautahi Street Art Festival, the Christchurch City Council, Dulux Paints, Moana Vā, Qtopia, and InsideOut.

Photo Credits: River Jayden

The Giant Cans – Notepad, Incubator, Constantly Changing Canvas…

With the upcoming refresh of the three ‘permanent’ art cans at the St Asaph Street Giant Spray Cans site, we have been thinking a lot about these unique surfaces and their evolving appearance. While the three cans to the west serve as commissioned installations, with a revolving roster of artists and crews decorating the cylindrical forms, the other three cans, situated to the middle of the space (closer to the basketball court) are a type of legal wall space, an open source option for people to adorn with markings and makings of all kinds. The impact of each set can be strikingly different. The cohesive ‘permanent’ designs serve as aspirational inspiration, but the more haphazard patina of the ‘legal wall’ cans can be equally as interesting – from signals of presence to gestating visual ideas, the cacophony of tags, handwritten messages, characters, patterns and icons are a wide gamut that becomes a thick layer of paint. The legal cans change as quickly as the weather in Ōtautahi, new chapters are constantly added. So we decided to put some of our favourite finds from the history of these iconic cans together (from both their current location and the previous Lichfield Street setting). The selection of images here features local talent from Ōtautahi and artists who have visited the city and left their mark on the metal surfaces. Some examples form part of initiatives and projects, others were created independently, but in each case, they are examples of how the unique approach offered by the Giant Cans affords a space for creative and restless energy to manifest… The outward appearance of the cans is chaotic – intentionally so, because they represent the multiplicity of voices in any city – when they change constantly, they are simply a reflection of our shared landscape. So, while many of these examples have disappeared under fresh layers, that is exactly how it should be – after all, a city never stops…

The Dark Countdown Begins! An Interactive Installation by Centuri Chan

Centuri Chan is a multi-faceted creative – one of the forces (excuse the pun, it will make sense later…) behind the Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi project, he is a photographer, content creator, Lego block master, and, importantly, a ‘Star Wars guy’. In his upcoming project Dark Countdown, he will fuse his fixation on a galaxy far, far away with a visual commentary on the waste created by mass commercial marketing and short-term collectible fads. The result will be an interactive installation that is an impressive patch work image, and a deeper commentary on contemporary consumerism and capitalism. We took the chance to let Centuri fill us in on this intriguing project, giving us an insight into the concept and execution…

“In 2016 a major supermarket chain released a set of Star Wars collectibles as part of a gimmicky advertising campaign. A grocery spend of $20 or more would be awarded with a single blind-bagged ‘Cosmic Shell’ featuring a character from the Star Wars films. Collectors were encouraged to collect and trade for the complete set of 36 to fill an exclusive collectors album.

I conceived this Dark Countdown artwork around 2020 after finding hundreds of cosmic shells at op-shops, flea markets and online marketplaces after the promotion ended. I have always been a collector, and I have been a huge Star Wars fan since I was a youngster. My past-self would have spent countless hours and grocery trips completing the set.

Instead, it was after the hype died down that I started. I spent several years collecting bulk lots, bags of spares, and even unopened boxes of these small plastic discs.” Chan will now utilise this vast collection to create a 5-metre wide mosaic image at the St Asaph Street gallery space The Art Hole. In collecting the required amount of discs to create the massive artwork, Chan is able to highlight the problematic nature of such gimmicks, which intentionally cause a furore of excitement like a brief sugar rush, before most of the collectible trinkets are discarded and forgotten. It is easy to imagine which side of the galactic unrest the producers might fall on (insert Imperial March here)…

The Dark Countdown installation is almost five years in the making. The final work will be a giant photo-mosaic made from thousands of these discarded Cosmic Shells. The exhibition comprises two parts, the interactive installation of week one, where the public is invited to help create the giant mosaic in situ at the Art Hole gallery space from Tuesday 20th May (opening 5:30pm to 7pm) until Saturday 24th May. The second stage will see the completed artwork on display for a week, open to the public from Tuesday 27th May (the unveiling at 5:30pm – 7:00pm) to Saturday 31st May.

Be part of Dark Countdown by helping install the giant mosaic work and visiting the exhibition:

Interactive Installation:
Opening – Tuesday 20th May, 5.30pm – 7:00pm
Gallery Open Hours: Tuesday 20th May – Saturday 24th May, 9:00am – 4:00pm

Exhibition:
Opening (Artwork Unveiling) – Tuesday 27th May, 5.30pm – 7:00pm
Gallery Open Hours: Tuesday 27th May – Saturday 31st May, 9:00am – 4:00pm

Follow Dark Countdown on Facebook for updates and follow Centuri Creative on Instagram…

Tune! A Creative Playlist with Klaudia Bartos

We are stoked to bring you the newest entry to our growing playlist! We reached out to 2024 Little Street Art Festival artist Klaudia Bartos to find out what music inspires her creativity and keeps her going in the studio. As the multi-talented artist explains, much like her wide-ranging approach to visual art, her musical tastes are also varied: “There are so many different genres of music I like that I could never pick a favourite- especially while making art!” So, what songs will Klaudia never skip and what might we find her listening to as she creates the paintings, prints, sculptures and everything in between that we have come to love? Read on to find out!

Tiesto – Adagio for Strings

This is a classic for me. I heard it a lot growing up, so it has a super super nostalgic vibe for me. Kinda sad but up beat- I love it!

Foreigner – Waiting for a Girl Like You

Just a guilty pleasure song – it’s moody and I love it…

Q Lazzarus – Goodbye Horses

I mean, what can I say? It’s a bloody banger…

Guns N’ Roses – This I Love

Mid painting and this comes on… It pushes me through to the end. I might even replay it, hahaha…

Nirvana – Where Did You Sleep Last Night

Linkin Park – Breaking the Habit

I would have added a whole album of Linkin Park to this list if I could, but let’s just go with this one. RIP CHESTER

Phil Collins – A Groovy Kind of Love

My Mum used to listen to Phil Collins all the time when I was growing up and it stuck with me. I kinda just love sad sounding songs I guess!

Rainbow – Rainbow Eyes

Soft singing Dio, guitar, melancholy – lovely!!!!

Robert Miles – Children

This song always makes me think of Dad

Ayla – Ayla (Taucher Remix)

To be honest, I’ve gotta have a good mix of trance to keep me going…

Make sure to follow Klaudia’s work on Instagram…

Tune! is an ever-growing list of the music that inspires Ōtautahi creatives – stay TUNEd for more entries here at Watch This Space!

Piece of Mind – Dcypher, Graffiti Muralism and Changing Perceptions…

When the opportunity to refresh his mural on the corner of Welles Street and Colombo Street arose in late 2024, Dcypher had a few ideas in mind. The original mural, commissioned by the New Zealand Transport Agency, had become somewhat rundown, it’s large sections of flat colour filled with a variety of uninvited additions. The chance to repaint the wall, without having to respond to a cycle safety brief, allowed the artist to explore themes and styles closer to his heart.

Developing two concepts, discussions began around which would be signed off. The first, in Dcypher’s signature graphic style, depicted a busy urban scene, filled with characters (realistic and cartoonish) and shenanigans, from cops and gangsters to urban artists, angular architecture providing the setting. When asked if the narrative could depict the evolution of a graffiti artist into a legal mural artist, the second concept came into clearer focus. Urban Abstract, a technically impressive, dynamic graffiti piece declaring the artist’s name in blue, grey and orange, creating intricate spatial illusions (inspired by wartime Razzle Dazzle ship painting), didn’t need a traditional pictorial narrative – it was a literal suggestion of graffiti art’s potential as recognised public art.

By painting such a work, highlighting the development and unique qualities of graffiti as an art form with a distinct history spanning generations, the concept could be viewed as aspirational. Rather than directing graffiti artists to have to alter their stylistic (and often technical) approach to accommodate figurative or naturalistic realism (popular trends in contemporary muralism), Dcypher’s concept put the spotlight firmly on graffiti as an art form, showing how graffiti artists can take their work to new levels without leaving behind the ideas and interests that have reared them. The result of this implied transition can see talented artists rejected or indeed, reject the opportunity to emerge – not seeing a place for themselves amongst the world of commissioned works of native flowers, birds and other recurring motifs.

Graffiti art has evolved and entrenched itself for decades across the globe, with a range of aesthetic, conceptual and sub-cultural traits defining its nature, even if it remains divisive (both inside and outside the culture). And yet, while contemporary muralism has exploded as a form of public art, graffiti art, such a vital influence for many artists, still often has to wrestle for a seat at the table of festivals and prominent commissions. of course, much of this has to do with the legality (or lack) of traditional graffiti and the fact that it is an internalised visual language, one that requires deeper understanding and consideration. However, it cannot be denied that graffiti is a defining visual language of the last 50 years. Dcypher’s work, from concept to execution, presents graffiti art on its own terms, engaging those initiated and inviting the uninitiated to reconsider their perceptions of the art form. It is graffiti as public art, highlighting the ability to disrupt and assimilate with the surrounding urban environment. It is defiantly true to tradition while also illuminating a sense of evolution.

Check out Dcypher’s Urban Abstract in real life on the corner of Welles Street and Colombo Street!

Postcard from Mexico

Mexico is a hotbed of colourful culture – from the heritage of Aztec history, the muralist movement, the folkloric expressions, energetic graffiti and more recently, the emergence of a contemporary mural style infused with all of these influences… Last year we were lucky enough to spend some time in Mexico, visiting Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta and capturing some arty goodness. It can’t be understated how massive Mexico City is, bustling and colourful, the juxtaposition of traditional graffiti, fun street art, murals and public art a reflection of the city’s diversity. With only a couple of days to explore, much of the art we found was in the Condesa area where we stayed, but we also were able to witness a huge amount of art as we travelled outside the city to the impressive pyramids of Teotihuacán, murals, slogan typography and of course the frescoes of the ancient Aztec city itself. Puerto Vallarta is renowned as a bright, vibrant destination, and the collection of murals throughout the city most certainly adds to that profile – often displaying elements of local culture and history…

It’s impossible to not read this Radiohead lyric in a certain cadence… Mexico City

Where will our next Postcard come from? Stay tuned!

Jacob Yikes Goes Big for Flare!

We love @larraman’s time lapse of Jacob Yikes’ massive mural on the Distinction for Flare Ōtautahi Street Art Festival – an insight into the work that goes into such a huge undertaking! Thanks to ChristchurchNZ and @larraman for this incredible footage – and to Flare and Yikes for the vision! Tallest mural in Aotearoa? Completed it mate!

Stay tuned for more Flare Ōtautahi Street Art Festival recaps!