Architect Jennifer Bonner‘s installation at the Woodbury Hollywood Gallery.
“Bonner filled the gallery with water in order to provoke a discussion of crisis, flood, drought, and watershed geographies. This piece is not only timely, but critical. The question of flooded environments is not an abstraction but a reality. In an arid climate such as Los Angeles, the wet, hot, and humid installation heightens awareness of other environments and potential future scenarios.” -Mimi Zieger
The Watermarks installation simulates Venice’s Acqua Alta, documents resiliency across the American landscape, and explores representational techniques for water fluctuation.
In Venice, Italy high tides annually flood San Marco’s Piazza throughout late fall and early winter. During this reoccurring phenomenon, the city deploys elevated walkways at common pedestrian routes allowing foot traffic to carry on regardless of thirty centimeters of standing water. Souvenir shops sell disposable plastic shoe covers allowing tourists to wade through the public water spectacle where new urban unfold within the inundated square.
By flooding the gallery floor in Hollywood, visitors are asked to join in dialogue about a far-away Italian land, yet imagine potential future scenarios for Southern California. Rising water levels in arid landscapes and droughts in saturated domains question our assumptions about regional climates. Three watershed geographies are examined and thirty-six flooded towns are watermarked.
Exhibition | September 7th through September 11th, 2011 scenarios WUHO | 6518 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Web-site: http://wuho.org/watermarks Architect: Jennifer Bonner on twitter: @woodbury_soa
