The City of Ocala in partnership with Hospice of Marion County has announced the installation of an interactive art project titled “Before I Die.”
The installation will take place Monday, April 12 at Tuscawilla Art Park, located at 213 N.E. Fifth Street in downtown Ocala. The exhibit will be on display through Monday, April 19. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
As a part of National Healthcare Decision Day, volunteers from Hospice of Marion County will be on-site Friday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to facilitate conversations about mortality and adding meaning to our daily lives.
“Before I Die,” created by artist Candy Chang, reimagines how the walls of cities can help us grapple with mortality and meaning as a community today. After the death of someone she loved, Chang painted an abandoned house in her New Orleans neighborhood with chalkboard paint and stenciled the prompt, “Before I die I want to ___,” to restore perspective and find consolation with her neighbors. Anyone walking by could pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on death and life and share their personal aspirations in public.
Thanks to passionate people around the world, more than 5,000 “Before I Die” walls have now been created by communities in over 75 countries, including Iraq, China, Brazil, Kazakhstan and South Africa. A memento mori for the modern age, the installation reimagines our relationship with death and with one another in the public realm.
Citizens are encouraged to visit the installation and share their personal hopes and ambitions while enjoying the tranquility of the Tuscawilla Art Park. Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings, maintain proper social distancing and frequently sanitize their hands.
For more information about the exhibit, contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Office at (352) 629-8447 or artinfo@ocalafl.org; or visit www.ocalafl.org/culturalarts. To learn more about the “Before I Die” global project, visit www.beforeidieproject.com.