Need a morning pick-me-up? Then check out Before I Die, an urban art project in which New Orleans-based installation artist Candy Chang transformed an abandoned house in her neighborhood into a giant chalkboard where locals were invited to write about what was important to them. Once the wall was filled up with responses, it was washed down, allowing for even more people to participate. Unfortunately, the project itself proved just as ephemeral. The house was bought earlier this month, and the new owners (who were fans of Chang’s idea) had to begin renovations ASAP to comply with city regulations, bringing an end to things.
“I’m blown away by the responses on the wall and beyond, and the project will continue to expand to other cities and grow for years to come,” says Chang. “We are currently working on providing a large one-column stencil that will make it much easier to reproduce.” Also in the works: a book documenting the process and some of the best responses. Click through to check out photos, and let us know in the comments if you think this would work in your city.
