New Zealand

Quake may delay New Zealand biennial

Christchurch's Scape biennial was already postponed after September earthquake

Scape's blog posted this photo of Anton Parsons' 'Passing Time' being installed yesterday

CHRISTCHURCH. The New Zealand city of Christchurch has been struck by a second major earthquake in five months. This second disaster comes just two weeks before the planned opening of its public art biennial “Scape”, which had to be postponed after the first earthquake in September.

The latest correspondence from the biennial’s organisers, sent just a day before the latest earthquake, said that the permanent sculpture, Passing Time by Anton Parsons had just been installed in the city centre. Work by five others artists was due to be unveiled in what would have been the sixth edition of the biennial.

Initial reports of the 6.3-magnitude quake, which struck at lunchtime on 22 February, say that it has caused at least 65 fatalities and widespread damage.

Eliza Apperly

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Comments

24 Feb 11
19:17 CET

ANDREW CLIFFORD, AUCKLAND

Last night (NZ time) Scape organisers confirmed that this year's event is cancelled. The announcement is here: http://www.scapebiennial.org.nz/news/6th-scape-christchurch-biennial-will-not-go-ahead-planned

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