What’s Happening: Black Cube
A group of this year’s Black Cube Artist Fellows, the Institute for New Feeling (IfNf), completed an interesting yet thought-provoking project called Avalanche. The artist collective, formed by Scott Andrew, Agnes Bolt, and Nina Sarnelle, explored the myths of “enhanced” bottled water. The performance, which took place at the Denver Wastewater Building, was a pyramid of construction equipment turned into a 3-story fountain, which transferred water through nine performers.
The cyclical water filtration process started atop the scaffolding structure and ended in crystal singing bowls. As the ice melted, it passed through a variety of activities, collecting sweat, saliva, soil, and tears from the performers. The Avalanche narrative engaged many of the challenges we face today in regards to water, including the fact that much of the world does not have access to clean water.
It’s such a wild thing, this Black Cube. I’m limited only by my abilities and my vision and the people I work with the realize this amazing and super-frightening thing.
Cortney Lane Stell, Executive Director + Chief Curator of Black Cube
Westword completed a full-article on this unique performance, see more here.
Following the exhibition, DU’s Vicki Myhren Gallery partnered with Black Cube to host the exhibition piece of the project. The exhibition included the custom vending machine and documentation of the performance. The 17-minute video encouraged the viewer to carefully consider the process of bottling water and whether or not to contribute to this market by purchasing bottled water. AQNB, an editorial platform for contemporary art and other cultural practices, interviewed IfNf to gain more insight into their project. IfNf focused on how the process of bottling water is extremely damaging to our environment.
Indeed, according to climate scientists, it is precisely this kind of feedback loop set into motion that is responsible for the amplification of climate changes over an ever-shorter period of time.
IfNf to AQNB
