Look out Aucklanders! Artist Julia Holden brings a unique public art experience to the city as #WishYouWereHereChch goes live across Auckland with an exhibition of 5 billboards and free postcards!

“What has happened in Christchurch could have happened anywhere in New Zealand. Using painting as the vehicle my aim is to offer the public a poetic window into the reality of this utterly changed, once beautiful city that is in the painful process of transformation and renewal.”

Presenting an exhibition in the form of 5 billboards and a series of postcards has not, to my knowledge, ever been done before. I am so delighted and grateful to everyone who got involved and gave their support, from the original Boosted campaign donors to the businesses that pitched in their resources to help grow this project into a truly elegant, multi-faceted social public art work.

In an exciting new development to the 5 billboard installation as originally conceived, Phantom Billstickers, the well-known Christchurch poster company, have generously offered their support for this artist-initiated billboard project by producing all 10 paintings of post- quake Christchurch as a set of postcards. The postcards will be freely available through their extensive Auckland cafe network.

The postcards add a whole new dimension to the #WishYouWereHereChch project, creating a fantastic opportunity for more people to get involved with, and actively participate in, the campaign using either snail mail or social media. Together, billboard companies iSite, APN and Media5, and now Phantom Billstickers have helped me to create a fantastic platform for people to connect Christchurch with the New Zealand’s wider communities.