Forget Gold – Invest In Water
The title of this project originates from a wall street trader’s alleged mantra for future investment. It raises questions about the ways in which we assign value to aspects of the world once assumed to be the right of all.
The reciprocal nature of our relationship with the environment is nowhere more acutely or intimately demonstrated than in our need for water – it constitutes around 60% of the composition of our bodies. It provides us with images of purity and corruption. The value we confer on it takes many forms; biological, agricultural, industrial, aesthetic, spiritual, environmental and financial.
Many of these demands are in competition with each other, if not in conflict. As many cities appear on the verge of a water crisis, brought on by changes in climate, increased demand and poor management, its financial value seems set to increase, paving the way for sometimes distant speculators to benefit financially from local shortages.
Art has a part to play in helping us to helping us to order our priorities in the light of these various demands. This exhibition demonstrates how artistic choices regarding medium and technique can be brought to bear on these ideas and issues.
