In the 1960s, NASA began to search the cosmos for extraterrestrial beings. They looked for one sign, above all else – water. It is essential to sustaining life. Water covers 71% of the Earth and makes up 60% of the human body. In some countries, access is as simple as turning on a tap, but around 2.2 billion people lack safe drinking water. According to WaterAid, by 2040, a quarter of children will live in locations without sufficient water.
Swiss artist Maya Rochat (b. 1985) presents an immersive installation about this vital element. The show, designed specifically for Photo Elysée, takes inspiration from Japanese pseudoscientist Masaru Emoto, whose 2004 bestseller The Hidden Messages in Water suggested that human consciousness could affect the structure of water. The artist projects footage taken whilst submerged in seas and rivers onto canvas, surrounding visitors with abstract images, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
The exhibition maintains a tension between the beauty of nature and climate anxiety, which is a constant theme in Rochat’s ouevre. The artist joins a movement of creatives making use of water to urge environmental justice. Others working in this space include Mandy Barker, who photographs plastic debris to raise awareness of the effects of pollution. Olafur Eliasson and Minik Rosing’s Ice Watch saw 24 blocks of ice placed in front of Tate Modern to demonstrate global warming. In a world where sea levels are set to keep rising globally, the realities of the crisis are ever more prevalent. Photo Elysée magnifies a key voice ad- vocating for a reconnection with the planet, before it’s too late.
Water is Coming | Photo Elysée, Lausanne | Until 23 February
Image credits:
1. Maya Rochat, WATER WORLD, SEA OF COLOR, 2024.
2. Maya Rochat, A PLASTIC TOOL, NORDSEA, 2017.
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