Celebrating Water. Exploring the Global Crisis.
FotoFest curated and commissioned 29 exhibitions on Water. The exhibitions were selected to articulate different ways in which Water interacts with human life and different ways in which we see Water and its meanings. The selections range from scientific experiments revealing the inner movements of Water to abstract meditations on the spiritual meaning of Water. Documentary and environmental works address the global issue of dams, the massive diversion of rivers to cities, the destruction of natural bodies of Water, and the polluting of the seas. Other works look at the intersection of Water and death and the historic-cultural significance of great rivers. Throughout these selections, there is a focus on the wonder of Water, its power and beauty. The works range from classical two-dimensional imagery to film, installation, and video.
Water is an endangered resource. Fresh water resources and the oceans are being contaminated, misused, and destroyed. Fresh water consumption is growing at twice the rate of population. Since 1950, fresh water demands have tripled and already over half of the world's accessible fresh water resources are being used. Twenty percent of the world's population, 1.1 billion people, still do not have access to safe drinking water. In the ocean, over 90 percent of the large fish species population has been killed off. Estuaries and reefs are disappearing. Water is not only essential to all life and the survival of the planet, it is a vital part of spiritual and creative expression.
Wendy Watriss and Frederick Baldwin
Curators and Artistic Directors, FotoFest