Water Exhibition Review from the ZImmerli Art Museum

The water exhibition at the Zimmerli Art Museum was an interdisciplinary exhibition with works related to the theme “Water”. The curator was able to find many artists from other universities through out the country who made make use of the theme “water” to create their art work in different ranges of medium and have their work exhibited at the “Water” show. My initial thought of the “Water” exhibition was a lot different then what I had expected from the real thing. Base from the previous show I’ve been in Zimmerli, I thought this “Water” show was going to be exhibiting mostly paintings or drawings of natural landscape with water being its related theme. However, when I got there, the first sculpture that strikes my attention suddenly clearly changed my opinion on this exhibition. The sculpture instillation in the main lobby of the “Water” exhibition was called “Ice and Ark” made in 2009 by Ross Cisneros. The medium of the installation is with plastic bottles, water and fishing nets. The curator had told us that the fishing net is filled with water bottles on the bottom, with 200 bottles of this water called “Berg” which is water collected from melting glaciers. This idea create curiosity amongst audience and it also raises the awareness of global warming, who owns that water and water rights, etc. I thought the exhibition was a lot more environmental and focus around the scientific aspects of water instead of just artist’s different style of how they represent water in their visual art works.  There were many unique and creative use of medium for the sculpture installations in order to fully render the visual representation of water. In the brochure, it mentions “Water is essential to life on earth”, the exhibition use this idea to present water in how it can be use, how it can be watched, how it can be described using multiple metaphors, and how it is something we cannot live without in daily life. All in all, I think the exhibition was arranged really well, with its specious space in the gallery, I don’t think that any work were being unnoticed or given less attention then others. The arrangements of the art works were very suited and appropriated especially for the last section of the exhibition. The installation of 78 framed photographs in three rows called “Fountains” by Diane Neumaier and also “Piaus” by Atul Bhalla of the 20 photographs of old/almost non-used water foucits from Tibet. I just thought having those two works next to each other really complimented on the idea of water resource of where our drinkable and use water comes from; either faucets or drinking water fountains. This idea focus around the extend use of our civilization with water on how human took use of water in their living areas, cities, suburban towns, tour sites, etc.

Condensation Cube

Ablution

Haiti Photography series (Sodo Haiti, St. Yves, Haiti, Sodo, Haiti)

Piaus

I put these 4 art works together because I think the feeling of water visually and conceptually of these works can be grouped together. The first three gives me the visualized imagery of water’s shape going downwards due to gravity, in a vertical steam shape. Whether or not its from the “Condensation cube” with the water evaporates linger down the cube or from “Ablution” by Bill Viola, the video installation with two people touching the water, the water is splashing downwards in the center of the video. Going from the nudity from the video, I related it to the Haiti photography series “Sodo Haiti”, “St. Yves, Haiti” and “Sodo, Haiti” of Haitians standing under the rain or waterfall with no shelters. The Haitian people’s expression, some were visible, some were too dark but with the color contrasted and the lighting, it has a brownish dim feeling of darkness. I related to poverty and the use of water with less economically developed countries. That is why the last one, I used “Piaus”, by Atul Bhalla, the 20 photographs of different old rusty faucets that seems almost never used.