Welcome to Elemental Memories
An evolving artwork and digital archive of charms created for The Unconformity.
Elemental Memories is a living public artwork that invites everyone to take part. During the festival, a monumental necklace of charms adorns the façade of the Galley Museum in Queenstown, spilling stories along the street. Each charm is handmade from found or recycled materials and carries a memory of people, place, and connection.
This site is an archive of the charms made so far, and will continue to grow over the course of the festival. Each contribution is photographed and added here, creating a digital record that mirrors the physical chain.
The project began with Gilded Memories in 2023, inspired by a historic necklace tied to Queenstown’s past. For this new chapter, Emma Bugg and Lauren Steller worked alongside students at St Joseph’s and Mountain Heights schools to create the first charms, wrapping objects in copper wire repurposed from broken electronic cables, connecting to the town’s mining history.
Festival visitors are invited to contribute their own charms. Workshops run 12–5pm, Thursday to Saturday, in the Queenstown Library with artists Emma Bugg, Lauren Steller, and Natalya Bing.
Bring along a small object to transform into a charm.
