We live our lives, we unintentionally document them - regardless of how ephemeral or insignificant these moments are for us, we create an internal archive. Where do these fleeting moments lie in the space of the world, does your ever-growing archive warrant acknowledgement by anyone other than your own recollection, and if it does, what justifies that being included in the white cube?

Ours newspapers are now businesses and we are swiping through our feeds faster than we’ve ever been able to. Trauma, dismay, broken communities, moments of celebration, all make the headlines but in our world of heavily cycled news, within a week, these moments are lost and forgotten, especially for us of those who aren’t impacted directly. ‘15 March 2019’ is to hold on to an ephemeral time, create a tangible memorial, and to understand the Islamic community that is still being affected by the trauma in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The use of wax from vigils held in solitude, the Adhan inviting use to stand in prayer and understanding, and a Māori lament sung by the artist, this record not only stands as a tangible memorial but creates a conversation that oughtn’t be forgotten. The artist fights for the 51 people killed to be honoured in that white cube and for each of their archives to not be lost.

jbjprendergast@gmail.com