AIDA MULUNEH: WATER LIFE
May 3 – Jun 14, 2019
Opening Reception: Friday, May 3, 12-5pm
By appointment Tuesday-Friday from 11am-5pm
David Krut Projects, New York is pleased to present a selection of photographs from Aida Muluneh’s 2018 series titled Water Life.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT: My main goal in building this collection is to address the issues caused by a lack of access to water, and the impact which that has not only on a society as a whole, but on women, particularly in rural regions. For those of us who live in cities, it’s easy to take for granted the privilege of access to water – while those living beyond the city grid often encounter challenges that not only impact their health, but also their ability to contribute to the development of their communities.
Each piece addresses the impact of water access as it relates to issues like women’s liberation, health, sanitation and education. While travelling across Ethiopia for my work, I often encounter streams of women traveling on foot and carrying heavy burdens of water.
I have understood that women spend a great deal of time fetching water for the household, which has an adverse effect on the progress of women in our society. We cannot refute that it is mainly women who bear responsibility for collecting water, a burden that has great consequences for our future and the development of our nation.
Hence, supporting access to water in rural regions in Africa is an urgent social issue, as well as an essential determining factor in the self-sustainability of a community.
I have chosen to create a few of these pieces in Dallol, Afar, Ethiopia – an extreme landscape that places emphasis on the message I am transmitting. The world is continually bombarded with images of the social plight of Africa; therefore my focus in this project was to address these topics without the cliché that we see in mainstream media. In a sense, to advocate through art. –Aida Muluneh, Addis Ababa
For more information, or to schedule an appointment please contact meghan@davidkrut.com or lauren@davidkrut.com.
Image: Aida Muluneh, Knowing the way to tomorrow, 2018, Archival Digital Photograph, 80 × 80 cm, Edition of 7.
