The European Pavilion 2024 floating arts program is set to sail to Lisbon after navigating four of Europe’s largest rivers for its closing event. Titled "Liquid Becomings," the initiative explores floating cultural projects designed to reconnect citizens with their rivers. The closing event will take place on the 7-9th of November.
By Demi SpriggsThe European Pavilion, a conceptual space designed to foster dialogue, creativity, and cultural collaboration across Europe, focussed on the hydrosphere this year. With artists, researchers, and curators taking to the waterways for floating and mobile events. The participants held events in different destinations along the main European rivers, marking an interest in a dialogue about how rivers connect European communities and have throughout time.
In the past two years, the European Pavilion has embraced a creative and symbolic approach to reshaping the concept of European unity through art. The initiative's 2024 theme, Liquid Becomings, seeks to address contemporary challenges across Europe by exploring themes like cultural identity, migration, and climate change in ways that connect diverse communities.
Water is a critical topic in Europe and globally, especially in light of climate change's escalating impacts. Droughts in the last years have brought to the surface "hunger stones" in Central European rivers, ancient markers from the early Renaissance that indicate historically low water levels. Their emergence serves as a stark reminder of our changing climate and its effects on water availability.
In light of this critical issue, European policymakers have increasingly emphasised the need for sustainable water management to address these challenges. For instance, the European Commission has set up steps and policies to mitigate water scarcity, promoting initiatives that enhance water conservation and support ecosystems. The world of artistic production has laid the foundation for dialogue about the issue of water and waterways around Europe, and the European Pavillion's theme this year marks a wider trend in curatorial and artistic projects concerning the hydrosphere.
The water focussed artistic research and curatorial program found in Liquid Becomings, organised by the European Cultural Foundation, not only embodies the spirit of collaboration and community engagement through its flotilla of boats, but also aligns with the pavilion's mission to delve into Europe’s diverse cultural heritage and collective identity and how it coexists and entangles with the waterways.
The flotilla projects—FLOW, MS-Fusion, Teatro Meia Volta, and United Artist Labour—represent innovative artistic research initiatives designed to explore and engage with the cultural landscapes along Europe’s rivers.
Each project brings a unique perspective: FLOW focuses on the interconnectedness of water and community, MS-Fusion merges technology and artistry, Teatro Meia Volta emphasises storytelling through performance, and United Artist Labour advocates for collaboration among artists.
The MS-Fusion, as an example of the cohort, is a floating residency project on a boat made out of pulled and modular resources. The materials are stored in Austria and turned into different objects, such as living compounds, moving non-combustion vehicles, and for the MS fusion, a floating vehicle. The website describes the project as such:
‘MS-FUSION offers a platform to artists and scientists for trips on rivers to carry out research in this cultural area and to implement projects in the context of artistic research. It works as a floating studio, as a tool for research, field studies and to realise art projects on rivers.’
Together, these initiatives aim to foster meaningful connections between artists, local communities, and shared cultural narratives, ultimately enriching the conversation about Europe’s collective identity.
As artists journey through historic rivers, their interactions with local communities will contribute valuable insights that will be featured in the pavilion, culminating in a public festival in Lisbon that fosters dialogue about envisioning a united Europe.
Co-curator of the Liquid Becomings project, Naomi Russell, shares her vision of creating "a pavilion that defies traditional concepts, challenging established institutions and fostering alternative models centred on people and ideas."
"We aimed to explore the hidden corners of Europe, and the best way to do that was by navigating its rivers, which serve as a nervous system connecting the continent," she explains. Adding critical insight to how this nervous system contributes to contemporary climates on immigration politics that span colonial pasts, she adds, "the choice of a boat was intentional as a provocation; Europe’s wealth was built on sailing vessels during the colonial era. Today, we see fragile boats crossing the seas, carrying refugees."
Following this theme, in recent years, many curatorial projects across Europe have centred on water as a vital element, exploring its ecological, cultural, and social dimensions. These exhibitions delve into themes of fluidity, sustainability, and the interconnectedness of communities with their aquatic environments, prompting discussions on climate change, migration, and collective responsibility towards preserving water resources.
Through diverse artistic expressions, they invite audiences to reflect on the significance of water in shaping identities and futures. Two examples of recent initiatives that have reflected water as an artistic focus are:
Eleusis (European Capital of Culture): Eleusis has embraced water as a central theme, highlighting its historical significance in ancient rituals and its contemporary relevance in discussions about sustainability and community resilience.
The program features art installations, performances, and workshops that engage local residents and artists. Despina Charitonidi entered the waterways and landscapes of industrial maritime economies with. To Fall with Grace. The project, an on land and in water performances that referenced water aerobic choreography looked at human interference in underwater environments.
This work, among others, explored the city’s relationship with its surrounding water bodies and their ecological health. Other curatorial initiatives around Athens and Attica have taken similar scopes. Such as the Office of Hydrocommons, founded by curator and art researcher Eleni Riga, geared to facilitate ‘research on new aesthetic approaches of ecofeminism with emphasis on water commons’
Bad Ischl (European Capital of Culture): In Bad Ischl, the focus on water includes artistic projects that reflect the region's rich spa heritage and its natural springs.
The programming incorporates multimedia installations and interactive experiences that encourage visitors to engage with the healing properties of water, emphasising its role in well-being and community identity while fostering dialogues about conservation and the future of local water resources.
Artistic research and curatorial interventions in water are gathering interest from local political sponsors and funders. Programs for art and science residencies surrounding this theme are becoming more popular. More generally, over the last years European artistic production has galvanised the strong link between art and science, and researching and existing artistically around the waterways is entangled in this.
Reflecting this zeitgeist within the art world, with an ecological focus at large, the European Pavilion seeks to reflect on European society's challenges, encourage cultural exchange, and strengthen a sense of belonging within Europe by addressing issues like migration, climate change, and social justice. By offering a space to reimagine Europe’s future, the European Pavilion embodies a dynamic cultural force that transcends national boundaries.
Water throughout a connected continent is an integral part of this, as it represents an interconnectedness of our contextual histories, through trade, movement, ecologies, human and natural geographies, the waterways are a way to think through European Historical flows.
photo credit: Nel Lato, Liquid Becomings. The European Pavillion.
