A circular video projection turning a smooth floor into a well by a blue, bubbling surface. A circle of loudspeakers from which 500 whispered wishes collected from the internet – from cool shoes, more sex to world peace – immerse into the wishing well. We spoke with the Austrian part of the Austro-British winner team of the Neptun Water Prize 2001: Katarina Matiasek, media artist, diploma holder of the Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst (University of Applied Arts) and anthropologist.
Matiasek: Actually, the cooperation between me and Robin was a coincidence. Each of us was invited to carry out a project in the Klangturm (Tower of Sounds) in St. Pölten. Due to the limited space available we decided to make a joint project. The result was the Wishing Well.
API: How did your participation in the Neptun Prize come about?
Matiasek: We learned of Neptun from the internet. The competition particularly appealed to me because it is interdisciplinary, out of the ivory tower, so to say. This is also how we see our work, and the reason why we participated.
API: What does the medium water mean to you personally?
Matiasek: You see, water is elementary to me. It has a very strong emotional effect. It is known that people love to be near water surfaces and to linger there. Thus, art has the possibility to ‘catch‘ them somehow.
API: Does this also happen in the case of contemporary art?
Matiasek: With regard to my special subject, some beautiful approaches do exist. Like the video work by Ann Hamilton: water spilling out of a woman’s mouth eternally; or The Messenger by Bill Viola in the Cathedral of Durham: a video projection showing a man ascending from the baptismal font.
API: Will water be a subject of your creative work again in the future?
Matiasek: The intention is certainly there, but I have no definite plans for the time being. On the other hand – to do something in underwater communication, would be really interesting. Maybe for a future Neptun competition. (Source: aqua press Int. 03/01)
