Latchkey Gallery is pleased to present, Why do the waves repeat the questions I ask them?, a solo presentation by multi-media artist and activist Katja Loher. Composed of video sculptures and projections, the artist addresses ecological urgencies while drawing attention to the intrinsic beauty of life sustaining processes that support our planet. Why do the waves repeat the question I ask them? transforms the gallery into a surreal, dream-like environment dividing the exhibition space into three sections: the sea, the earth and the magical intersection of the two.
Loher’s video works are created in a collaborative effort; they incorporate dancers who take the form of small creatures that ennoble their existence. Performers intertwine to form letters, words and questions, while costumed dancers dressed as bees, planktons or butterflies mimic the communication inherent to different species creating hypnotic musical scores.
In Loher’s new series related to the Plankton Manifesto, the artist takes us on an underwater journey making the beauty of plankton visible to the human eye. Through her mesmerizing video projections, Loher transforms the space into the deep sea; enveloping the viewer through sight, sound and smell. Video-sculptures made from recycled plastic take form. Inspired by the drawings of German ecologist and artist Ernst Haeckel, Loher’s created world draws attention to the crucial role of phytoplankton. Responsible for producing up to 50% of the oxygen we breathe, these microscopic organisms also cycle most of the Earth’s carbon dioxide between the ocean and atmosphere.
Traveling from the sea to the earth, Loher focuses on the all-consuming ecological universe surrounding us. Studying under Shamans and philosophers from around the world, Loher shares their powerful knowledge to emphasize the importance of living in harmony with the natural world. Dancers move to form the sacred mandala symbol of Asian cultures, knowledge from the Chinese philosophy of the Five Elements Theory is shared, and healing chants from the Peruvian Amazon are revered. Loher unites the world wide concerns we are inflicting on our planet, through video-sculptures made from found tree trunks and bird’s nests and highlights the need for ecological consciousness and balance.
Gathering at the magical threshold of the sea and earth, we are reminded that all entities of our planet have a spirit that is part of the greater soul of the universe.
About the Artist:
A graduate of the Fine Art Academy in Basel, Switzerland, Katja Loher (b. 1979) is an internationally recognized artist whose work has been featured in exhibitions throughout China, Japan, Europe, South America and the United States, in such venues as: World Expo Museum, Shanghai, China; MuBE, Museu Brasileiro da Escultura, São Paulo, Brazil; Venice Architecture Biennale, Venice, Italy; MAXXI Museum, Rome, Italy; United Nations Pavilion, Shanghai Expo, China; Biennale Chongqing, China; Art Digital, Moscow, Russia and the State Hermitage Museum, St. Peterburg, Russia.
Loher’s work can be found in numerous private and public collections, including: Credit Suisse Collection, Zurich, Switzerland, 21C Museum, Kentucky, USA; Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa, USA; Jorge Perez Collection, Miami, USA; eN Arts Collection, Tokyo, Japan and Horsecross Collection, Perth, UK. Recently, Loher’s work has been commissioned for large scale Art and Architecture projects at the new headquarters of SwissGrid, Switzerland, Related Group/Jorge Perez, at SLS Hotel, Miami, USA, and Oasis VIP Lounge, at Bogota Airport, Colombia
