Saturday 22 March 2014

Before I Die..

This 'Before I Die Wall' was created by Candy Chang after she lost someone close to her.  The aim was to help her deal with the extreme grief she was experiencing.


'Anyone walking by could pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on their lives, and share their personal aspirations in public space.  It was all an experiment and she didn’t know what to expect. By the next day, the wall was completely filled out and it kept growing: Before I die I want to… sing for millions, plant a tree, hold her one more time, straddle the International Date Line, see my daughter graduate, eat more everything, abandon all insecurities, be completely myself… '
The concept behind this 'wall' is very inspirational.   It brings communities together and allows them to physically engage with each other.  It is quite like social media where you post things on a wall for people to see, however I feel that this one is a lot more personal.  'Before I die' is quite an intimate question to ask yourself.  Are you living life to the fullest? or have you given up on your dreams.  It restores perspective, something which is so easily lost in this modern world.
'Over 450 Before I Die walls have been created in 30 languages and over 65 countries, including Kazakhstan, Portugal, Japan, Denmark, Iraq, Argentina, and South Africa.' - This statement is truly inspirational and gives me hope that people are still kind, sharing and most of all human.  




From a design perspective, the wall is a great interactive piece which can be reused and altered as many times as the creator would like.  The chalk markers are easily removed using water, meaning that anything which doesn't not bring joy or positivity to the wall can be taken down almost immediately.  There is a very positive aspect to this installation as it allows people to share their lives, hopes and dreams with each other, letting their personalities roam free with no restriction. 

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