SUZANN VICTOR

In the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic, an informal group of contemporary galleries from around the world came together to discuss how to navigate the new challenges of the crisis as it affected our artists, staff and businesses. This community was a source of support during the difficult period of the global pandemic, and an international ground-up network was formed despite being physically confined in our countries. As an expression of this unity, the group initiated Galleries Curate, a collaborative exhibition by twenty-one galleries to express the dynamic dialogue between our individual programmes. STPI is glad to work with local artist Suzann Victor for this project to present the artist on an international platform.

The exhibition Of Waters brings together three seminal works by the artist which highlight the artist’s interest and investigation into the element of water. With two gallery installations (where one is also presented online) and one print work, the exhibition invites the audience to experience the multifaceted practice of the artist and dive into an immersive experience.

Of Waters explores the different (sound) qualities that water contains. The physical installation and online presentation of Fire Water (2021) (in collaboration with Martin Kirkwood) offers a dark room in which the audience oscillates between different readings of the sound source. In stark contrast, Strike (2021) offers an archipelagic landscape of crystalline water containers that visitors can turn into a Glockenspiel. Finally, Portwine - Romance included (2015) is an encounter with the visual dimension of the element and this resonates with the artistic process.

With these three corresponding components of the exhibition, Of Waters allows a deeper understanding of the artist’s continuous interest in the element. Furthermore, the exhibition encourages the visitors to recalibrate their senses, reflect on their own preconceptions of water, and experience the multiple potentialities that are embedded in the element.

Of Waters is presented as part of Galleries Curate: RHE. RHE (from Greek for that which flows) is a platform for exhibitions, performances, and public interventions that loosely address the theme of water—geographically, politically, economically or metaphorically. Involving projects with twenty-one galleries, both online and on-site, RHE was conceived to span regions, markets, cultures, and audiences around the world, circulating both within and outside of traditional white-box exhibition spaces.

The online presentation of Fire Water on the Galleries Curate: RHE website will be available from 27 April to 9 May at galleriescurate.com.