Christ Church Cathedral exhibition 'a love letter to the city'

Ghostcat inside the cathedral with his Jave Café. Photo: Dave Richards
Ghostcat inside the cathedral with his Jave Café. Photo: Dave Richards
Christ Church Cathedral is opening its doors again to the people of Christchurch - this time to host an art exhibition.

Local artist Ghostcat’s exhibition Ghosts on Every Corner will use the cathedral’s historically significant setting as a backdrop to a local project.

Ghosts on Every Corner is an exhibition and a book with photography by Dave Richards and text by Dr Reuben Woods.

The preview day this Friday is booked out with 400 people set to see it in groups of 50.

Woods called Ghosts on Every Corner “a love letter to the city”.

"It features intricate recreations of diverse places, from Smiths Bookstore, Echo Records, and Wizards Arcade to Java Café, the Cathedral Square Police Kiosk and the Deans Ave Sales Yard building.

"It also reveals how seemingly small and at times overlooked places can have a big impact on people and communities.

"These are places where lives played out, where people came of age and where bonds were formed.

"The Cathedral provided a link between many of the sites featured in Ghosts on Every Corner.

"Its current state of ongoing repair serves as a reminder of the precarious nature of many of our most cherished places."

Christchurch Dean Ben Truman said the preview was another chance for people to enjoy the space.

"Going inside the Cathedral for community events has always been part of the city’s tradition, we are delighted to share it in this way. It's more than a religious building, it has a civic role.

"It's where people admired carpets of flowers at the Floral Festival, signed the book of condolences for the Pike River families, twisted their way up to the bell tower and admired our city from above, attended funerals and weddings, and it's where we hosted Kings and Queens."

The Ghosts on Every Corner exhibition (and book) will also be on display at the Pūmanawa Gallery at the Arts Centre from March 29. It will run for six weeks.