Ornamental Thoughtfulness

Words

For six weeks a number of small bronze hands have been installed in public places in Wellington, New Zealand as part of a project entitled Ornamental Thoughtfulness by artist and educator Mary Whalley. Their purpose is to hold offerings which passers by can take or replace with their own small, thoughtful items.

Anonymous tokens of generosity or thoughtfulness. They can be found in busy walkways, shortcuts and on parts of streets people pass close to on their path to school or work. The project enacts the idea of ‘idealistic antagonism’ a term the artist coined to describe moments of anonymous kindness or beauty that interrupt the everyday mundane.

By loading the video, you agree to Vimeo's privacy policy.
Learn more

Load video

All images © Mary Whalley

SONY DSChands02hands03SONY DSCSONY DSC
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
SIGN UP