Over 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water and even we are approximately 60%water. I wanted my collaborators to physically connect with their local waters, experiencing a sense of place.
I sent raw canvases scattered with pigments to fellow artists in Denmark, Latvia, Isle of Wight, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and South Africa. They dipped these in their local waters, filming and photographing the process. In their videos, I noticed how they had fun discovering their waters during the dipping process, despite frozen fingers and wet feet. My collaborator, Peter, combined these videos, creating a document of this process.
I imagine the identity and environmental DNA of the water, embedded in these canvases. The minerals, algae, the microscopic daphnae which entrap nano plastics in their mucous cloaks, the toxic effluents of industrial plants and all traces of human activity like fertilisers, pesticides and medicaments. For me, the canvases are ID cards of those waters.
My work in progress is about earth’s water, about process and about artists collaborating across borders. I thank all dippers: Inger, Baiba, Kate, Nicky, Annalisa, Gesa, Annette, Brindusa, Admill, Peter and Karen, with special thanks to Peter and his IT expertise.
Sonia Boening, Munich 05.04.2022