‘Liquid Light’ honours the two most sacred elements on earth.
Fragments | Photo: © Maraya Art Centre
Water is a constant, engrained into a billion-year existence on earth. It has seen history unfold, it lives, performs and heals. It connects humanity in the most beautiful way and energises our entire existence. Throughout this exhibition Wood embraces and gives voice to waters differing personalities, moods, textures and thoughts. As light interacts with each artwork, we are reminded of the ebb and flow of the sea, the drawing in and out of estuaries and the rise and fall of rivers with the changing seasons.
Liquid Light, Private View | Photo: © Maraya Art Centre
In this exhibition titled Liquid Light, at Maraya Art Centre, British light artist Chris Wood showcases her first institutional solo exhibition in the United Arab Emirates. The show reveals a visual dialogue between water and light, through a series of playful interventions.
Wood's fascination with the ever-changing view of the river by her home in Cambridgeshire UK has driven her to create an entirely new body of work for the Maraya art centre. This new repertoire of visual discovery celebrates the two most sacred elements on earth, drawing parallels between bodies of water in geographically distant environments.
Supporting soundscape for this show was created by musician, Jackson Mathod.
Maraya Art Centre’s Exhibition Preview film of ‘Liquid Light’
Featured Artworks and Installations
Interference
Photo: © Chris Wood Light
Originally displayed at Tokyo Polytechnic University's International Research Centre of Colour and Science. For "Liquid light," this modular artwork has been hung in a new block arrangement. Interfering with the interference.
Pause
Photo: © Chris Wood Light
Where water, light and movement have a conversation.
Red, green and blue light are projected onto the water and reflected off its surface. They then combine to create white light, which is captured on the suspended screens. Exterior effects such as the drips falling from above or a gentle breeze from a passer by, will then disrupt the lights directional landing and the three colours will return. This playful projection colourfully describes the dialogue between the elements, and captures the waters live performance.
Fragments
Photo: © Chris Wood Light
Gathered from the artist’s hometown in Ely UK, Al Noor island and the Al Qasba Canal, this visual study celebrates the differing personalities of water. Using a simple arrangement of Dichroic fins and film projection, fragments disrupts, plays and reflects patterns of the water; creating a symphony of colour and movement.
Immersion
Photo: © Maraya Art Centre
This immersive installation sets out to capture something of the essence of the artists passion for early morning wild swimming. The immersion in cold water awakens every sense in the body which bring a deep and primal connection with nature in all its glory.
Meddle
Photo: © Maraya Art Centre
Meddle is a visual representation of an interference pattern, a phenomenon in which two waves combine by adding their displacement at every single point in space and time, forming a resultant wave of greater, lower or the same amplitude.
Ta-Da
Photo: © Maraya Art Centre
Ta-Da is a simple arrangement of glass vessels filled with water, creating dynamic patterns of light. The two elements share the stage in this performance, light is the dancer, choreographed by the water, demanding your attention.
Water Changes Everything
Photo: © Chris Wood Light
"As a light artist, water is my muse, environment, eye candy, passion, hobby and craft. I love to be close to it, from the vast open sea, to a simple glass of water. Every drop is special and I am mightily privileged to have the chance to bring my other passion, light, together with water to honour them in this way.
However I cannot speak about water without acknowledging the inequalities in water provision. Across the world 29% of schools do not have access to water, with an incomprehensible 771 million people not having access to clean water close to their home. 100% of the profit from the sale of these artworks will be donated to water charity, the UAE Water Aid Foundation, Suqia UAE, who work tirelessly to increase access to clean and sanitary water for people around the world.
The design of this artwork is inspired by moments of interference; a phenomena which occurs when two waves meet whilst travelling creating patterns on the surface of the water, which are made visible by the interaction of water with light.”