Liquid Door

Bated Breath (from the archival prints)

Isola and Norzi
Art in General

I stumbled my way to this opening on Friday, after a long day studying the business of Appraising Art at NYU. I was so tired I could barely read the pamphlet about the exhibit, which I actually think is imperative for this unique experience. 

Isola and Norzi was inspired by Cousteau´s underwater life in the "Starfish" House. 

(my girfriend reminded me of the hilarious film version by Wes Anderson called "The Life Aquatic" with bill Murray and Steve Zissou.) 

They got a permit to use the documentary that recorded Cousteau living inside "Starfish" for a month. From this they reinterpreted the film and expanded it by exploring the underwater ideas within land-locked aquariums, through a collaboration with the New York Aquarium (Coney Island). They focused on architectural experiments regarding preservation and restoration of this replicated environment.

Relics

My favorites of the show was actually these simple but very imaginative pieces called "Relics", made out of watercolor on compressed sponge.

Isola and Norzi´s project will ultimately end in a returned journey to the ruins of Jacques Costeau´s starfish house where they hope to recreate the liquid door inside the wreck reclaimed by the ocean, and perhaps, like Cousteau, smoke a cigarette on the bottom of the ocean.

- Taken from the last paragraph in the pamphlet, which I finally managed to read with clearer senses.

I am not a diver and a bit afraid of water, but I am sure there are many out there that can relate to the dream of a life underwater.