Spooky Action at a Distance by Ciaran Begley for SCAPE Public Art Season 2019

Ciaran Begley Spooky Action at a Distance 2019. Image courtesy of SCAPE Public Art. Photo by Heather Milne.

The recycled off-cuts were a conscious reference to rebuilding the past, which the city now lives and breathes. The weight of this material is what gave the work its power.

Spooky Action at a Distance collapsed space and revealed unexpected connections as it folded and re-formed. The artwork became truly active only when interacted with. Standing at one remove, we were able to pull a cable that, in turn, altered the counterbalanced plywood panels from afar. The title Spooky Action at a Distance was a phrase first used by Einstein to describe quantum entanglement, or when particles are linked even when physically separated. Connections across both time and space are of interest to Ciaran Begley, a self described ‘artist and amateur physicist’.

Returning to Christchurch after many years away, the site of High Street was a strong touchstone for him, as a former stomping ground and location for grassroots arts activities. At a time when the city is undergoing immense transformation, the ruins of the former Holiday Inn resonate for him as both a monument to the past and a marker of a more open city with scope for growth.