The project is based on a collection of experimental film photography series created according to a single principle.
I traveled to different places and shot intuitive photo essays in a free style. One reel of film = one place. After shooting, I soaked each film in a liquid that is paticular for each territory. For example, a photo series from the Russian coast of the Sea of Japan was soaked in the Sea of Japan water; photographs from a walk along the bottom of the Charyn Canyon (in Kazakhstan) were soaked in the waters of the neighboring Kolsai Lake with an admixture of sand from the canyon itself; photographs taken in Georgia were soaked in freshly crushed Saperavi grape juice right in the vineyard where this wines were harvested. Etc. This technique is called film souping.
My interest was to create an image where you can feel what is happening between the layers of living landscapes and show in the photo the ringing chemistry of the relationship between the mineral memory of water and the sensitive membrane of the film emulsion.
As if to look into the thoughts of water, into its chemical composition and see something «between the lines», some kind of unvoiced mythology, history, elusive.
Water, like matter, seemed to me like a sponge that absorbs into its atoms an infinite amount of information produced by various «electricity» all around – thoughts, conversations, sounds, light, temperature, aromas, events – in fact, all the physical phenomena that got into it, passed by, used it, flowed through time and space.
In my perception, the image is never silent. It's just a matter of converting a visual texture into a musical one.
sound by Raciya Bağdad
Each series of Waters is originally soundtracked. One series, one sound artist who creates the emotional texture of the Waters myth in the volume of sound.
sound by Raciya Bağdad
WATERS is a collection of photo series, a music compilation and an exhibition experience.
SEA OF JAPAN. Lomo Apparat camera + Double X 5222 film + water from the Sea of Japan
We will need a dark room for the exhibition.
We will install a small «well» with water in the center. The bottom of the well will be mirrored, and lighting devices will be installed around the perimeter. This will help us recreate the caustic phenomenon in space. We will completely fill the walls of the room with a video projection of the Waters sequence. The sequence will consistently demonstrate all Waters series with sound, enlivening them with video effects and diluting photos with the play of light and caustics.
We would like to try to create a underwater feeling for the viewer in this space without the water.
Some scenario will be used to zone the sound and the different distribution of its pressure during the experience, as under water. The experience will end with live performances by music artists which will be accompanied with the short musical videos of Waters created by the artist UKIYO.
Visual concept by UKIYO
Below you can discover more of Waters series.
For some of them, the music has already been written, for others, artists have already been announced and work is in progress. UKIYO creates videos for each Waters series, the work is also in progress.
CHARYN. Lomo Apparat camera + Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8 film + water from Lake Kolsai + stone chips from the Charyn Canyon (Kazakhstan)
sound by sofist / visuals by ukiyo
SPLASHES DANCE ON THE OCEAN FLOOR. Lomo Kino camera + Kodak Vision 3 500T film + water from the river of the Alma-Arasan gorge (Kazakhstan)
sound by DX2ov / visuals by ukiyo
WIND MOOD. Lomo Apparat camera + TASMA type-42 ISO 400 film + Almaty running water (Kazakhstan)
sound by mishxn / visuals by ukiyo
RKATSITELI. Zenit 122K camera + WASHI Sound recording film ISO 50
+ homemade wine Rkatsiteli, Talakvadze family farm (Georgia, Kakheti)
+ homemade wine Rkatsiteli, Talakvadze family farm (Georgia, Kakheti)
The music for this series will be created by Uväll (Tbilisi)
the process of «souping» the film in Rkatsiteli wine and grape juice
GRAPE JUICE. Lomo Apparat camera + WASHI Fluorographic x-ray film ISO 100 + fresh grape juice of the Saperavi variety, dripping from the body of a harvesting machine in a vineyard (Georgia, Kakheti)
HATTA. Lomo Kino camera + WASHI Film A + water from the Tasmeer Residence swimming pool in the JVC district of Dubai and burnt stones from Hatta Mountain (UAE)
sound by Astral LXXXIII & Danabelle gutierrez (Dubai)/ visuals by ukiyo
If you have any questions about the project, you can write to me directly in telegram @vegeravenera or What's app +7 967 228 33 07
