(re)connecting.earth (02)—Beyond Water

Artists
Maria Thereza Alves, Caroline Bachmann, Flurina Badel & Jérémie Sarbach, Mauren Brodbeck, Seba Calfuqueo, Luis Camnitzer, Luis & Gabo Camnitzer, Gabo Camnitzer & Lluís Alexandre Casanovas Blanco, Julian Charrière, Collectif Tchan-Zâca, Mark Dion, Andreas Greiner & Takafumi Tsukamoto, Valérie Favre, Anne-Laure Franchette & Manon Briod, Anne-Laure Franchette & Géraldine Honauer, Marie Griesmar, Hans Haacke, Christina Hemauer & Roman Keller, Monica Ursina Jäger, Alexandre Joly, Diana Lelonek, Diana Lelonek & Denim Szram, Antje Majewski, Adrien Missika, Lucie Morat, Ma Neveu, Uriel Orlow, Carmen Perrin, Som Supaparinya, Raul Walch, Pinar Yoldas, Zheng Bo, Curator Bernard Vienat

From September 1 to October 1, the Biennial will be presenting the works of 32 Swiss and International artists linked to environmental issues. In addition, a 30-day program focused on water and biodiversity around the harbour and natural sites in the city of Geneva will foster exchanges between art, science, and ecological theory.

Organised in collaboration with artistic, scientific and environmental institutions, the Biennial of Art and Urban Nature (re)connecting.earth (02)—Beyond Water curated by Bernard Vienat (art-werk) presents works of art that draw attention to the nature that surrounds us on a daily basis. In addition to exhibitions at various sites close to the ports of the Mouettes genevoises, such as the Bains des Pâquis and the premises of the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Léman, a month-long program features performance workshops, film screenings, and a symposium to reflect on the links between art and ecology, to overwhelm what philosopher Baptiste Morizot has called a crisis of sensitivity.

The Biennial features 15 new artists productions outdoor, among them two conceptual gardens realised by Maria Thereza Alves and Uriel Orlow, an indoor exhibition focused on an exchange between historical positions of environmental art such has Hans Haacke and Mark Dion, in exchange with younger artists such as Pinar Yoldas and Diana Lelonek. The Biennial also offers an opportunity to discover different satellite nature sites in the city, such as the Pointe à la Bise reserve. Accessible to all generations, (re)connecting.earth (02)—Beyond Water focused particularly on an extended educational program. During the month of September, workshops for nearly 2,000 primary school children are organised, giving them a fun way to learn about sustainable development, and experiment with creative practice. By presenting works created by artists sensitive to environmental issues, this Biennial of Art and Urban Nature aims to highlight the diversity of urban ecosystems and of contemporary artistic production linked to ecology. It explores the capacity of art to draw attention to the rest of the living world, in order to take better care of it.

The Biennial (re)connecting.earth (02)—Beyond Water promotes a sustainable approach to the production and diffusion of art, from design to the recovery of materials used, including transport and the integration of a mobility plan. The newly-created works have been designed by the artists to be presented in other exhibitions in Switzerland and abroad, while reducing CO2 emissions as much as possible. This responsible approach aims not only to minimise the pollution caused, but also to promote energy savings and more sustainable production in the art world. In this way, the Biennial is encouraging the setting up of nomadic exhibitions designed to be eco-responsible.

With the aim of being accessible to all, a guide has been published as part of the Biennial. In it, you’ll find explanations of the works, biographical details about the artists, presentations of the exhibition venues and explanations of how the Biennial works and how it came into being. The (re)connecting.earth project is a reminder that these issues are not reserved for the academic world. And it is in support of this idea that the Biennial’s activities, including art workshops, performances, screenings, and lectures, are open to all and largely free of charge.

Exhibition highlights
The Lake Geneva and its biodiversity will be at the heart of the Biennial. An 80-meter painting by Swiss artist Monica Ursina Jäger on the piers of the Bains des Pâquis pier shows the lake forest that hides beneath the feet of bathers. The conceptual artist Luis Camnitzer presents The Hahnemann Museum of Water Drawings, a participatory artwork inspired by the theories of Samuel Hahnemann, inventor of homeopathy. The installation of Flurina  Badel & Jérémie Sarbach questions the notion of invasive species by enhancing the value of quagga mussels. Taking the form of a professional fishnet, Carmen Perrin’s sculpture is conceived as a response to an extractivist logic, one that takes from the living without ever giving back.

The Biennial also feature two conceptual gardens. One—designed by Uriel Orlow (recipient of the 2023 Swiss Grand Prix for Art/Prix Meret Oppenheim) in collaboration with an architect—offers a new way of looking at plants by considering them in all their agency. The other one, designed by Maria Thereza Alves, highlights indigenous and invasive plants from a postcolonial and globalised perspective, as part of the vast Seeds of Change project led by the artist since 1999.

Video artworks by artists Seba Calfuqueo, Julian Charrière and Som Supaparinya will be screened in partnership with the Festival du Film Vert Genève. The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion with guests linked to the issues raised by the films.

The artworks are also featured on—and under—Lake Geneva itself. Artist Raul Walch transforms the landscape of Lake Geneva in an ephemeral way, by sailing boats with upcycled sails in Geneva’s harbour, and Marie Griesmar’s underwater sculptures take place underwater, accessible to bathers and snorkelers.

Contacts
Additional details about (re)connecting.earth (02)—Beyond Water, including full lists of works, map, and program may be found at the project’s official website. For more information or to submit accreditation questions, please email contact [​at​] art-werk.ch.

Cerise Dumont, Press relations: cerise.dumont [​at​] art-werk.ch / T +41 76 377 25 23
Bernard Vienat, Artistic director: bvienat [​at​] art-werk.ch /

A Biennal organized by art-werk
Based in Geneva, art-werk is a non–profit association for the promotion and diffusion of art committed to contemporary social and environmental concerns. The association creates exhibitions and an open educational program, and offers free access to articles and a newsletter focusing on the connections between art, science and societal issues.