Fair Water: The Water Office Workshops

This series of workshops explores the current debate on global water challenges through artistic practices, presenting art both as a tool of action and a key element to rethink the importance of artistic practices in relation to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Water Office is a new project by Spanish curator Blanca de la Torre. Through different workshops, The Water Office seeks to provide a platform for those voices acting as “trenches” in the “water wars” that were predicted at the end of last century. In this context, art presents itself as an effective tool when addressing climate change and environmental crisis, and provides a framework for cultural practices to be aligned with the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

All workshops are developed and facilitated by different artists and present a theory proposal, a collaborative practice, and a final open lab exhibition, in which the results of the workshops will be displayed. For the artists facilitating the workshops, sustainability and ecological problems are key elements of their work and research, and their experience gives the audience the opportunity to explore water challenges from different approaches. Artists, professors, curators, writers, cultural workers, and anyone interested in the relationship between art and ecology are encouraged to participate in the workshops.

The resulting collaborative artwork will be presented on June 27, and will be on display at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain from June 27 to September 6.

All participants will be contacted a few days in advance with all details regarding each workshop.

PhDC

• On Saturday, June 22, from 10 am to 1 pm. At the Potomac Riverkeeper Network Boat Lab, National Harbor Marina, 163 Waterfront Street, Oxon Hill, MD 20745.
• On Monday, June 24, any time between 4 pm and 8 pm. At the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
• On Thursday, June 27, from 7 pm to 9 pm. Opening of the Open Lab exhibition at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
• With Juanli Carrión. Open to adults. Max. 20 participants. RSVP.

In this workshop, participants will use textile dyes of food origin which vary in color depending on the acidity of the water to analyze the contamination of different water systems in Washington, D.C. The resulting pieces will be displayed as an installation presenting the contamination of D.C.’s water.

Strategic Contamination: Viral Sustainability

• On Wednesday, June 19, from 10 am to 11 am. At the DC Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, 5000 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC 20032.
• On Monday, June 24, any time between 4 pm and 8 pm. At the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
• On Thursday, June 27, from 7 pm to 9 pm. Opening of the Open Lab exhibition at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
• With Elena Lavellés. Open to high school seniors, undergraduate and graduate students (all fields, arts and design preferably). Max. 20 participants. RSVP.

In this workshop, participants will be taking a tour to the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washington, D.C., to work on a viral campaign in social media using images, designs, and information gathered during the visit to the treatment plant. The goal is to “contaminate” social media platforms with environmental information about water sustainability and energy use. The final work will be displayed as an art installation.

Water Memories Itinerant Office

• On Thursday, June 20, from 1 pm to 3 pm. Pop up location at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th ST SE, Washington, DC 20003. Free, no reservation needed
• On Saturday, June 22. Pop up locations from 10 am to 12 pm at By the People Festival at the Arts and Industries Building, 900 Jefferson’s Drive SW, Washington, DC 20560; and from 2 pm to 4 pm at By the People Festival River Barge at Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr, Washington, DC 20020. Free, no reservation needed.
• On Thursday, June 27, from 7 pm to 9 pm. Opening of the Open Lab exhibition at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
• With Basurama and Rachel Schmidt.

This workshop aims to make visible how the water cycle works when we consider industries, transport, and waste as part of it. Participants will gather stories about water, which will be “bottled” in different formats, including images, drawings, texts, projections, and sounds to be preserved, shared, and heard, and to be integrated in a water cycle that is becoming less and less natural.

Walking the River

• On Saturday, June 22, from 3 pm to 6 pm. Location TBD.
• On Monday, June 24, any time between 4 pm and 8 pm. At the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
• On Thursday, June 27, from 7 pm to 9 pm. Opening of the Open Lab exhibition at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
• With Tania Candiani. Open to writers, filmmakers, artists. Max. 20 participants. RSVP.

This workshop consists of a literary experience and visual recording while walking along the Potomac River, Rock Creek, and water reservoirs. Participants will read texts about construction projects that changed the river landscape, climate change, and urbanization to create literary descriptions and video art. The resulting edited video, handwritten notes, readings, maps, and storyboards of the workshop will be displayed.

The Coliform Project: Performing Water Pollution

• On Saturday, June 22, from 10 am to 1 pm. At the Potomac Riverkeeper Network boat lab, National Harbor Marina, 163 Waterfront Street, Oxon Hill, MD 20745.
• On Monday, June 24, any time between 4 pm and 8 pm. At the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
• On Thursday, June 27, from 7 pm to 9 pm. Opening of the Open Lab exhibition at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
• On Saturday, June 30, at 2 pm. Performance of the resulting sound piece at Sound Scene 2019: Amplify!, presented by DC Listening Lounge Audio Collective at the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
• With Juan Zamora. Open to musicians. Max. 20 participants. RSVP.

This workshop aims to interpret contaminated water samples cultured in petri dishes as music sheets to be performed by local musicians. Participants will take samples of contaminated water from different bodies of water in Washington, D.C., culture the samples in petri dishes with agar, experiment and interpret the different results during the workshop. Finally, as a public art event, the samples will be performed by musicians from the local community at Sound Scene 2019: Amplify presented by DC Listening Lounge at the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

This event is part of the Fair Water: A Right of All program.