River of Rebirth / Healing Water

This spring, Z33 presents three new exhibitions that explore the multifaceted meanings of water in contemporary art, design and architecture.

River of Rebirth approaches water as a source of stories about creation and destruction. The oldest known written story, the Epic of Gilgamesh, tells us of a giant flood that marks both the end and a new beginning of life on earth. Stories linking water to the cycle of life, death and rebirth are found in cultures all over the world. Like rivers, they do not have a single origin. They spring from different sources, intertwine and branch out, and yet they flow uninterrupted from the past into the present. The exhibition River of Rebirth explores how these ancient stories continue to reverberate in the work of contemporary artists at a time in which we are increasingly confronted with the force of water.

Artists: Martin Belou, Thierry De Cordier, Mary Beth Edelson, Maika Garnica, Roni Horn, Lennart Lahuis, Matthew Lutz-Kinoy, Michèle Matyn, Aimée Parrott, Laure Prouvost, Jennifer Tee, Benjamin Verdonck, Cecilia Vicuña, Jessica Warboys, Mickey Yang, Jongsuk Yoon, Zhang Xu Zhan

Curator: Tim Roerig

Healing Water starts from our hectic existence, the post-religious environment and the performance society in which we function. In this context, many of us seek a break from stress, and look for mental peace and sense making. We are in search of meaning and a deeper connection to the elements. Known for its calming and healing powers, water can help us focus on what really matters. Designers and artists respond to these needs by using the remarkable properties of water. They design new rituals, installations for stillness, objects for sense-giving and healing projects. The artworks invite visitors to pause and be purified both physically and emotionally. Water still occupies an important symbolic position in our cultures. The healing powers of water are a recognizable and effective proven means of many rituals and therapeutic practices around the globe. With the growing scarcity due to climate change, we are not only losing a vital lifeguard resource, but also an element that brings us ease, mental health and calm.

Artists and designers: Juul Hagemeier, Valentine Maurice, Elizabeth Ogilvie, Thibeau Scarcériaux, Moon Seop Seo, Nanno Simonis, Katharina Sook Wilting, Pepe Valenti, Sep Verboom

Curator: Annelies Thoelen

Finally, FORMAT 2023: Water Expeditions presents the work of a new wave of young designers and architects examining our relationship to water.

Designers and architects: Sofie Deckers, Maud Gerard, Lore Janssens & Joram De Cocker, Niveau Zéro Atelier (Mathias Vincent-Palazzi & Thomas Viers), Juul Prinsen, Kurina Sohn, The Ironing Board (Marta Ríos & Miguel Parra)

Z33 would like to thank all lenders, the artists’ galleries, the Mondriaan Fund, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Belgium and the Amarte Fund for their support to the exhibitions.