item details
Overview
This banner was hand-painted and displayed on the Aotea lagoon bridge in Wellington to share a message of love and solidarity in the aftermath of the Christchurch terror attacks. The Masjid Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre were attacked by a heavily armed white supremacist during Friday prayer on 15 March 2019, who killed 51 people and wounded 40 more (the last victim died in Christchurch Hospital on 2 May). The victims ranged from three years old to 78.
There was an instant outpouring of grief and outrage in streets throughout New Zealand, from hastily scrawled graffiti to delicate artworks. Many heart motifs appeared, and this banner presents one of the largest and most distinctive renderings with its combination of the crescent moon and star associated with Islam, and the four stars of the Southern Cross constellation.
Banners provide large and colourful public materialisations of traumatic events. Such public images and messaging are often seen in the wake of mass violence. They are touching and provide comfort, but are temporary. The work of addressing and challenging racism, Islamophobia and white supremacy in our history and everyday life continues.