I Wish You Water
I Wish You Water is an installation featuring a gathering of objects intricately woven within ropes, inviting viewers to navigate this organic choreography in the space, as though embodying the meandering journey of a body of water. Exploring contemporary water rituals, the project aims to deepen the understanding and rekindle connections between humanity and nature, emphasizing kinship occurring among them.
It suggests that healing our relationship with water begins by listening to what it has to recount. Inspired by writer Masaru Emoto’s The Hidden Messages in Water and the notion of satori—a state of profound presence in Japanese Buddhism—the installation’s simplicity encourages introspection and tranquility. This poetic endeavor invites exploration of the imagination, invoking water as a means to nurture emotions, and foster deep gratitude for the wonders of the Earth.
Artist’s statement
I Wish You Water invites viewers for a pause to meander, float through imagination and get lost in the fluidity of emotions. This work is inspired by my experience of growing up in the Netherlands, thus below sea level, surrounded by a history of infrastructural projects designed to fight against tides, such as dikes. While living overseas, I was introduced to ancient Mexican earth-honoring rituals that revealed a profound relationship with water and its sacred impact on our well-being. Through this project, I invite viewers to delve together into a contemporary water-honoring ritual calling for calmness amidst the ebb and flow of life’s ever-changing currents.
Bio
Born in 1999 in the Netherlands, Juul Ida (van der) Zandt is a graphic and editorial designer. She has worked with Onomatopee, Melkweg, Philips Museum, Keep an Eye Foundation, and has been exhibited multiple times in Van Abbe Museum and during Dutch Design Week. With her research, she is interested in investigating cultural intersections and metaphysics, approached from a holistic perspective, translating these themes through authentic and simplistic visual elements.
