Artist:
Jiaqi Liu
Performance, Video documentation
Performance, Video documentation
Dear Water, is a site-specific performance in which a human hands a piece of water-dissolvable paper, with scientific answers to philosophical questions on water’s existence and purpose, to a body of water.The three questions are philosophically fundamental, with roots in Socratic, Platonic, and Cartesian thinking. The three answers were scientifically accurate: the wave equation (answers #1 and #3) describes the spatial pattern of any water waves in relation to their temporal movements; H2O (answer #2) captures the components and structure of any water molecule. In addition, the paper used as the physical medium was made of wood fiber and therefore completely natural and biodegradable — yet another sign of human benevolence. In Dear Water, humans assume, impose, condescend, and presumptuously act in water’s best interest — philosophy, science, accuracy, teaching, and biodegradability are all human concepts. Water flows. In addition to human-centeredness, this work remarks on the sense of futility associated with the quixotic march toward understanding and communication.