“Before I die I want to be accepted by my family.”
“Before I die I want to find grace in aging.”
“Before I die I want to bring peace of mind to my mom.”
“Before I die I want to build a school.”
“Before I die I want to get along with my daughter.”
“Before I die I want to thank all the soldiers.”
Before I Die:
A Memento Mori for the Modern Age
Before I Die is a global art project that invites people to reflect upon their mortality and consider the things which matter most.
When New Orleans artist Candy Chang suddenly lost her close friend and mentor, she turned her grief into a public art project. She stenciled the words “Before I die, I want to…” followed by a blank space onto the walls of a boarded-up home in her neighborhood, and left chalk for passers-by to fill in the blanks. It was the start of a project that has been replicated over 5,000 times across the world in multiple languages.
As part of our 40th anniversary, Collabria Care will bring the project to Veterans Park, Napa from October 26 – November 8 and then in St. Helena, Adams at Main, from November 8 – 22. See the project in action here. Be sure to visit the exhibit to participate and express what you want to do before you die.