Presented in an enchanting three-screen installation, Akomfrah uses archival images, nature shots and theatrical recreations; traversing time and space to reveal the poetic awe and horror of humanity's relationship with water.
The artwork surrounding the Vertigo Sea broadens the exhibition's thematic focus, deepening our trust, exploitation and connection with our precious environment, including works by Catherine Opie, Guillermo Galindo, John Gerrard, Alfredo Jaar, William Kentridge and others.
To emphasize the timeless connection between man and water, the curators of the exhibition have selected literary quotations that explore aquatic themes. These excerpts welcome visitors to the galleries in preparation for viewing the beautiful and traumatic works featured in the exhibition.
All featured artists:
John Akomfrah (British, b. 1957)
Lynn Davis (American, b. 1944)
Tacita Dean (English, b. 1965)
Guillermo Galindo (Mexican, b. 1960)
John Gerrard (Irish, b.1974)
Jenny Holzer (American, b.1950)
Alfredo Jaar (Chilean, b. 1956)
Jenny Kendler (American, b.1980)
William Kentridge (South African, b. 1955)
Judy Ledgerwood (American, b. 1959)
Basim Magdy (Egyptian, b. 1977)
Boris Mikhailov (Ukrainian, b. 1938)
Nicodemus Nowyook (Uquimit, 1902–1984)
Catherine Opie (American, b. 1961)
Pope.L (American, b. 1955)
Mara Eve Robbins (American, b. 1971)
Carrie Mae Weems (American, b. 1953)
Cover image: John Akomfrah, still from Vertigo Sea, 2015. 48 mins. 30 sec. Purchased jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, with funds provided by the Pritzker Traubert Visionary Art Acquisition Fund, and by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 2018
© Smoking Dogs Films; Courtesy Lisson Gallery
