Katariina Guthwert
Liminal Pools
28.3.-21.4.2024
“Liminal Pools” explores pools of water associated with religious or magical ceremonies. The importance of water as a life-sustaining element has made people through the ages mystify water. In the religious context, baths are transitional places where immersion allows one to purify themselves and get rid of symbolic impurities or move to another spiritual level. Purification is seen as a means of becoming favorable to the gods or worthy of performing a specific task. Blessed and sacred water can be used internally or externally for purification purposes. Springs, like the cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula, may have been used for sacrificial purposes and people may have been buried in them, as is the case for the Levänluhta spring in Ostrobothnia.
The exhibition features portraits of existing sacred springs and pools, some of which are located in nature and some in man-made environments. The exhibition also includes water bottles bought online and copies of pool modules that churches can order from specialized companies. On their websites, ancient rites, baptism, building permits and modern safety requirements coexist in a commercial catalog.
Katariina Guthwert is a Helsinki-based visual artist who, in recent years, has examined themes related to water, pools and religion in her art. Her exhibitions “Top 10 Must-see Attractions” (2016) and “Fine Lines” (2018) focused on hot springs and tourism. In her “Talaveritas” exhibition (2019), Guthwert examined the colonial history of Mexico and the interface where one dominant religion is replaced by another. “Wishing Well” (2020) explored the theme of clean drinking water, the legacy of western art history and the wells in Venice. In the summer of 2024, Katariina Guthwert, Ulla Harju and Mayumi Niiranen-Hisotomi will present a performance related to clay and water as part of Kaoliinifestivaali and the “Knowledge of Dust” exhibition at the Oulu Art Museum. Searching for and using natural clay as a material is an essential part of Guthwert’s art.
Contact details
katariina.guthwert(a)gmail.com
www.katariinaguthwert.com
