Ūdens Māte (Mother of Water)

Korn, Rebecca and Shneps-Shneppe, Anastasia (2024) Ūdens Māte (Mother of Water). [Exhibition/show, Performance, Photography, Sculpture]

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Creators:
Korn, Rebecca and Shneps-Shneppe, Anastasia
Description/Abstract:

Delving into the rich history of Riga's waterways and focusing on a tributary of the Daugava River in the Sarkandaugava district, a site infamous for the submerging of women accused of witchcraft during the 16th Century, Ūdens Māte explores concepts around speculative past, present and futures.

Using water as co-collaborator, ecotones as a space of unexpected encounters and the diatom* as a metaphor for magical transformation, Ūdens Māte is a meditation on water. Water as life-giving. Water as storytelling. Water as archive. Water as remembrance.

Reimagining the site at Sarkandaugava as a source of enchantment and feminine power, and conceptualizing water as an entity that has the possibility to unite human and other-than-human, the installation invited viewers to reflect on the intersection of myth, science, ecology and the female experience through the lens of Hydrofeminism.

* microscopic algae made of glass. Research was enriched by interdisciplinary collaboration with the Hydrobiology team at the University of Latvia, with a particular focus on Gomphonema diatoms that bear a distinct relation to female forms.

Presented at the Sculpture Quadrennial Festival in Riga, Latvia in August 2024.

Originally envisioned as three site-specific large-scale female-shaped, diatom-like glass sculptures floating in water, the project took a different form due to available funding. Thanks to the creative vision of the festival's curator, Kristiana Karklina, our initial idea was transformed into an opening night swimming performance that perfectly captured the essence of the festival's theme 'What Would Not Have Been'. Dancers Anna Bubovica, Ksenija Simanova, Glorija Spisa and Dana Zvonareva embodied our unrealized sculptures in the waters of the Daugava River. Musical improvisation by Sarme Gabrena created a magical sonorous layer, turning the performance into a dialogue between diatom-like movement, sound, and the shimmering reflections on the waters surface. The performance began on the deck of Noass Art Centre, with our installation of work showcased in the basement below, creating a powerful connection between the live performance and the final artwork.

Item Type:
Art/Design Item
Date:
15 August 2024
Copyright Holders:
Rebecca Korn, Anastasia Shneps-Shneppe
Material:
Glass, river water from Sarkandaugava, digital photographs from 35mm analogue film souped in river water.
Funders:
UCA Internal Research Funding, Latvian State Culture Capital Foundation, Riga City Council, Curator Space Bursary
Locations / Venues:
Location
From Date
To Date
Sculpture Quadrennial Riga, Noass Art Centre, Riga, Latvia
15 August 2024
23 August 2024
Uncontrolled Keywords or tags :
sculpture, photography, installation, performance, collaboration
Schools:
School of Architecture & Design
Depositing User:
Rebecca Korn
Date Deposited:
17 Feb 2025 12:52
Last Modified:
20 Feb 2025 13:06
Art/Design Categories:
Exhibition/show, Performance, Photography, Sculpture
URI:
https://research.uca.ac.uk/id/eprint/6606

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