To conceive the human body as “coral reefs full of polyps, sponges, gorgonians, free swimming macrophages continually stirred by monsoon climates of moist air, blood and veins”. With this quotation by Alphonso Lingis, the Australian theorist Astrida Neimanis introduces us to her vision of human existence — understanding our bodies as bodies of water, containing the potential future and all possible pasts within it. This queer and fluid understanding of our being underlies her concept of “hydrofeminism”. In it, she invites us to reconsider our nature, our entangled genealogy, and our understanding of the body as something that is fundamentally connected with the world through the substance of water. We soak up what we could have been, what we could become, or, as she expresses it: “our bodies as carrier bags.”

This notion of soaking up or absorbing can also be found in the work of Vera Kox. The sculptural elements and comprehensive installation presented by the artist originate from the series “… into deliquescence”, developed in its first iteration for the Kunstverein Reutlingen. The title of the series refers to the chemical process during which solid substances absorb airborne atmospheric water molecules and become wholly saturated. If these substances are exposed to unlimited amounts of water, they may result in total dissolution. For her exhibition at KOENIG2, Kox expands upon the notion of visual as well as metaphorical liquefaction, creating gentle waves and ripples which induce spatial transformation. (…)
Patrick C. Haas, 2022 / translated by Sarah Cormack

This exhibition, curated by Patrick C. Haas, is a collaboration between KOENIG2 by_robbygreif, Vienna and Galleri Opdahl, Stavanger.