Eduardo Srur, Hora da Onça Beber Água, 2014/2017, Ile Rousseau
Continuing its mission to raise awareness on essential issues of our times through contemporary art, the latest art project of ART for The World, is AQUA, an international travelling exhibition focusing on water and its importance to human beings, fauna and flora, curated by Adelina von Fürstenberg.
AQUA aims to emphasize society's collective responsibility on the role and use of water in our world today, where water management is a major challenge and a priority objective of the 21st century.
The exhibition is presented in avant-première from Geneva, a quintessential city of water, where the Rhône River, after running through the Canton of Valais and forming Lake Leman, flows through the heart of Geneva, where it converges with the Arve River, before continuing on to Lyon and the Mediterranean Sea.
Silvie Defraoui, Archives du Futur (Faits et Gestes), 2014; Maria Tsagkari, One More Garden, One More Circle, 2013, Chateau de Penthes. © Maria Tsagkari
Most of the artworks presented by the 32 contemporary artists invited to exhibit at AQUA are on display for the first time at the exhibition. The exhibition has been conceived to raise public awareness about the notion of interdependence, essential to the conservation of our environment and to the future of our planet. A quick look at the exhibition literature explains it all, "When water is under menace, so too are all forms of life on Earth. Recognised as a vital life-giving element, water is essential to preserving biodiversity and ecosystems. As a human resource, it is at the centre of climate change and its consequences, a possible origin, or a subject of conflict."
Invited artists and filmmakers:
Omar Ba, Nigol Bezjian, Clemente Bicocchi, Stefano Boccalini, Alighiero Boetti, Benji Boyadgian, Jonathas de Andrade, Silvie Defraoui, Michel Favre, Noritoshi Hirakawa, Francesco Jodice, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Shin Il Kim, Alexander Kosolapov, Iseult Labote, Salomé Lamas, Marcello Maloberti, Andrea Marescalchi, Carlos Montani, Marcelo Moscheta, Stéphanie Nava, Luca Pancrazzi, Dan Perjovschi, George Pusenkoff, Shimabuku, Eduardo Srur, Barthélémy Toguo, Maria Tsagkari, Velu Viswanadhan, Gal Weinstein, Vasilis Zografos.
Gal Weinstein, Nahalal (Partly Cloudy), 2011, installation at Chateau de Penthes, © Egon von Fürstenberg
AQUA was first presented on World Water Day, 22 March 2017. The exhibition is now taking place in two different locations in Geneva:
- From 23 March to 31 May at Île Rousseau, Quai des Bergues, located on the Rhône River in the heart of the city.
- From 23 March to 2 July at Château de Penthes in Pregny-Chambésy, located in the area of the United Nations and international organizations.
Following Geneva, AQUA will be presented in a new edition at SESC Belenzhino, São Paulo, Brazil, from November 2017 to February 2018, and continue its itinerary in 2018 to other continents.
Catalogue
The exhibition is accompanied by a colour catalogue of 120 pages with the contributions of the artists, art critics, and specialists from various fields offering a multi-faceted approach to the issues of water.
Marcello Maloberti, Kubec, 2017, installation at Chateau de Penthes. US Mission Photos, ©Eric Brindiers
ART for The World
An NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) and a Public Utility of the Canton of Geneva affiliated with the UNDPI (United Nations Department of Public Information), ART for The World mobilizes art, cinema and contemporary culture addressing compelling issues in our society. Since its founding in 1996, ART for The World has conceived numerous traveling exhibitions and produced several short movies. Since 1998, ART for The World regularly collaborates with the Regional Direction of the SESC São Paulo in Brazil. In 2005, its sister organization, ART for The World Europa was founded in Italy.
AQUA
23 March to 31 May 2017: Île Rousseau, Quai des Bergues
23 March to 2 July 2017: Château de Penthes in Pregny-Chambésy
www.aqua-artfortheworld.net
www.artfortheworld.net
