Power of Water
Installation with sound and video
Concept
elena victoria pastor
Sound in collaboration with
David Huss
Hamburg, 2023
In addition to being essential for the survival of countless life forms on the planet, water serves as a profound source of inspiration across many cultures. Throughout human history, water has woven intricate stories, fueled legends, and laid the foundation for entire cosmogonies. In many traditions, its transformative power transcends the purely material, embodying a deeper connection between humanity and the natural world. Across various civilizations, water has often been personified as a female figure, reflecting its role as a container, giver, and generator of life. This interpretation, deeply rooted in ancient pagan and indigenous beliefs, stands in stark contrast to the historical subjugation of women in patriarchal societies—an imbalance further exacerbated by industrialization and capitalism.
In Power of Water, elena victoria combines video, sound, and light to explore the representations of female deities in both Northern European and Caribbean cultures, specifically through the figures of mermaids. Through this installation, she investigates how the voices of these deities, symbolizing strength, mythology, and the sacred, can be intertwined in a postcolonial revitalization. Water becomes the central element in the projection, connecting the viewer to these cultural representations in an abstract and timeless way. The sensory experience of the audience is enhanced as the water is not only projected on the walls but also physically present beneath the metal floor of the exhibition space, which takes place inside a docked fishing boat in Hamburg.
Special thanks to Giulia Busetti, curator from the Dass8Meer exhibition in context of See Frauen Parade. Showed at M.S. Stubnitz, Hamburg, 2023.
video register > here
images: courtesy of the artist
In Power of Water, elena victoria combines video, sound, and light to explore the representations of female deities in both Northern European and Caribbean cultures, specifically through the figures of mermaids. Through this installation, she investigates how the voices of these deities, symbolizing strength, mythology, and the sacred, can be intertwined in a postcolonial revitalization. Water becomes the central element in the projection, connecting the viewer to these cultural representations in an abstract and timeless way. The sensory experience of the audience is enhanced as the water is not only projected on the walls but also physically present beneath the metal floor of the exhibition space, which takes place inside a docked fishing boat in Hamburg.
Special thanks to Giulia Busetti, curator from the Dass8Meer exhibition in context of See Frauen Parade. Showed at M.S. Stubnitz, Hamburg, 2023.
video register > here
images: courtesy of the artist