As Common As Well
This solo exhibition took place at the art venue "The Grey Space in the Middle" in The Hague in occasion of the event Hoogtij #75, in December 2023.
The work displayed is the continuation of the research project titled ‘Dowsing across Fields’, an ongoing investigation into how scientific logics and privatisation pose a threat to informal practices related to water. By examining the figure of the dowser – an individual capable of locating underground water using unconventional methods like forked twigs or pendulums – I explored how the dowser’s role has evolved over time within various social contexts. The dowser is seen as an archetypal practitioner essential for making water accessible by creating wells, thereby influencing the transformation of human settlements. This initial part of the research was displayed in this occasion.
The current focus of the research centres on the ways in which communities interact with wells and water infrastructure. It seeks to understand how power structures and collective responsibility handle a common, limited resource. The research also questions whether the prevailing scientific paradigm today poses a threat to the survival of dowsers.
These inquiries foster discussions that bridge different economic, political, and belief systems. Can this controversy lead to new possibilities where humans perceive and share water in a more equitable and self-sustaining manner?
The multimedia installation consists of some brick sculptures, a video and a series of poems and drawings. A performance took place consisting of pulling several times the rope from the wells alternated by the reading a poem.