Strategy / Exhibitions / Programmes / Publications / Water / Writing
The 1% water archive contained a library of fresh water samples
Collected by local communities, the library included samples from rivers to sewage and industrial water
‘The State of Water’ installation by Karlssonwilker in Use & Abuse
‘The State of Water’ installation showed global water usage
Mobile Intervention Unit by Studio Orta; graphic illustrated typical household water consumption in industrialised nations
1% Water and Our Future, Z33, Hasselt, Belgium, 2008
Co-curated by Jane Withers and Ilse Crawford, the title of this exhibition alluded to the percentage of the world’s water which is available for human consumption.1% Water and Our Future set the agenda for change by challenging us to rethink how we use and value this most critical resource. Showcasing works, concepts and experimental environments by designers, artists and scientists, the exhibition was conceived thematically: Use & AbUse focussed on the challenges we face through issues such as climate change and growing global populations; Sacred Waters explored water in relation to our psyche and the senses; and Reconnect brought together ideas shaping current change and showed how these are being translated into designs and concepts that are shaping a new water consciousness where water is used both more responsibly and more imaginatively.
Photography Kristof Vrancken
Malamp series by Brandon Ballengée documented the artist’s field research into amphibian malformation
Malamp samples showed deformed amphibians
The Sacred Waters theme explored the cultural meanings and value of water; Stamping The Water by Song Dong
In Sacred Waters, the Water Wunderkammer featured objects associated with water rituals and ceremonies
Ablution vessels, 1900-2000; medieval Aquamanile vessel
Model of Egyptian funereal boat, c. 2000BC
Drawing on Masaru Emoto's research, Tasting Waters invited visitors to ‘taste’ five waters influenced by different things such as music
Healing Water revitalised by a practitioner of the Bovis Theory of Dowsing
Reconnect installation staged as inventor’s workshop showcased
experimental work by designers exploring new ways with water
Wall collage of concepts for harvesting, saving and purifying water
Matlo, an alternative water cooler using terracotta, traditionally used to cool water by evaporation, by Doshi Levien
Rain Catcher, by Jordi Canudas, collected rainwater for use in the exhibition
reHOUSE/BATH, by Fulgaro & TJAW, used water from bathing to grow plants
Pig Toilet, by Atelier van Lieshout, explored a dry alternative to modern sanitation systems
In Reconnect visitors were invited to share ideas