As Christchurch struggles with how memory can be best served in a city that has lost so many of its architectural triggers, consider the radical sculpture that came out of the 6.1 quake that destroyed the town of Gibellina in Sicily in January 1968. Unlike Christchurch the small town was forced to abandon its original site and rebuild on firmer ground. Enter the Italian artist Alberto Burri. He was invited to create a memorial for the town as well as help attract cultural tourists. In response he made a massive work in concrete based on the outlines of the original streets, houses and alleyways of Gibellina. If you find yourself in Sicily you can find Burri’s memorial by taking the SS119 motorway to Madonna delle Grazie and the Ruderi di Gibellina is nearby. You can see a clip of the work on YouTube.
Source: Via: http://palermo.for91days.com/2011/12/29/the-cretto-di-burri/
