The Matrix of Water, 2022

Glass, glazes, mirror, led lights.

Paradoxically, drinking water has led humanity to advance and prosper but the evolution of mankind has also greatly contributed to the depletion of clean water resources. Envision a future where clean water would cease to exist due to our careless actions. Imagine the possibility of transferring water into a space where it would never disappear. In this project, I turn water into a synthetic visual object which coexists with actual water. The bachelor’s work consists of a four-part light and glass installation. Movies such as The Matrix (a 1999 movie trilogy written and directed by the Wachowskis) have inspired me to create an art installation based on the idea of saving water and. The movie presented the possibility of turning humans into a source of energy by preserving them and transferring their bodies into a digital space. This possibility has inspired me to develop an idea for a utopia in which it is possible to move drinking water into virtual space by turning it into code. The code would be put into a “matrix” which would prevent water from vanishing. My bachelor’s work shows water turning into matrix codes. When looking at a mirror we can see a vision of the future in which water is preserved by encoding it and turning it into a matrix. These ideas can be associated with Greek mythology and a poem titled Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid. In the myth of Narcissus, we can notice some topics that are still contemplated today. Narcissus falls in love with himself when he sees his own reflection in the water. This phenomenon occurs even in modern times. People’s values have changed a lot through the span of history, therefore humans became creators and destroyers at the same time. We started seeing ourselves as the epicenter of all possible problems. That means that we are the modern Narcissuses. When a person sees this artwork, they have to look in a mirror. The viewer begins to understand that they are one of the main reasons for the water crisis because they feel like Narcissus whose false pride has forced us to search for solutions that would help save the memories of fresh drinking water.