Katharine Dowson | Exhibition | Magnum Opus, Daejeon Museum of Art, South Korea | October 2024 - February 2025
Daejeon Biennale (formerly Project Daejeon) is the Daejeon Museum of Art's biannual art project integrating technology, nature, and humanity. Since 2000, beginning under the title Daejeon FAST, this project has steadily worked to organize international showcases presenting the work of creative convergence between science and art in partnership with various Daejeon research and cultural institutions.
RIVER OF LIFE
The 15-metre long glass river throws shadows that resemble the microorganisms in water which form the foundations of the food chain. We damage these at our peril.
With a strong foundation in her collaborations with the field of biology, Katharine Dowson visually represents the structures of everything in nature, including her own identity. River of Life, is a site-specific installation composed of over 200 transparent glass pieces ranging from 25 to 60 cm in size. Suspended about 7 cm above the floor, the collective shadows cast by each glass piece form the shape of a river. The rippling water within the exhibition space evokes memories of 'clean water, prompting viewers to reflect on the devastation of aquatic ecosystems caused by climate change, pollution, and overfishing.
River of Life goes beyond sounding the alarm on environmental destruction; it emphasizes the interdependence between nature and humanity, delivering a message of mutual respect and coexistence with the natural world.
