Standing barefoot in a river, listening to the breathing of the land, we find ourselves connected to the life force running through the veins of our planet. What flows in these rivers flows through us; an ancient source of life undeniably in need of a voice.
In March 2017, thirteen artists from Aotearoa/New Zealand were invited to explore the Canterbury region and create works of art which honoured, questioned and brought to light our intricate and sometimes troubled relationship with water. The selected artists came from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds and viewpoints. Since that expedition or hikoi, they have produced water-inspired works across media such as video, installation, painting, printmaking, photography and sculpture.
Beginning in Christchurch with a day-long seminar consisting of presentations by a varied group of iwi representatives, environmentalists, philosophers and scientists, the four-day research trip which followed gave the artists an opportunity to encounter multiple sites and narratives, and to map the experiences of local residents, iwi, and mana whenua through their connection to fresh water. These shared experiences instilled a familial bond among the artists and set in motion the development of new works of art inspired by the conceptual, imaginative and physical qualities of water.
In the three years since the 2017 hikoi, the artists have continued to explore themes raised along the way. The present exhibition is derived from the initial selection of works shown at Ashburton Art Gallery in 2018 (and subsequently seen at Hastings City Art Gallery and the Canterbury Museum). A number of works completed more recently attest to the ongoing urgency of water-related, environmental and climate-related concerns. ‘The Water Project’ is a generous and heartfelt offering, born from a collective experience, which asks us to consider the rivers and waters we all come from, and how we might proceed onwards from here, with care and wisdom.
Exhibition developed by Ashburton Art Gallery, curated by Shirin Khosraviani
Suter Gallery installation devised by Bruce Foster and Gregory O’Brien
DANI TERRIZZI, Concentrate and ask again, 2018. Video installation. Image courtesy of Dani Terrizzi and AAG
