Element of Life

No subject influences our lives as fundamentally or as dramatically as WATER. This reality takes centre stage during the thematic year held by the cultural association Braunschweigische Landschaft under the motto “Wasser verbindet eine Region” (Water Connecting a Region). For the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, this is an opportunity to dedicate two consecutive exhibitions to the Element of Life. From 29 November 2024 to 16 March 2025, visitors will encounter “Wirklichkeiten des Wassers” (Realities of Water) in the museum’s space dedicated to artworks on paper. 

VIEW OF THE WATER

From rain showers to the ocean’s undulating surface, water in its endlessly shifting shapes has always fascinated artists. Drawings and prints by masters from Rembrandt to Ludwig Richter, Canaletto to Jean Dubuffet, and from Ernst Ludwig Kirchner to Serena Ferrario all attest to the element’s magnetism. This selection is shown alongside paintings and decorative artworks, as well as sound art that makes water audible. 

RESOURCE FOR LIFE

Art reflects diverse perspectives on life in and through water. An admiration for the mysterious world of aquatic organisms is contrasted with the human narrative of water used as a resource. Depictions of fisheries, watermills, and canals in Venice are shown alongside equally artistic renderings of bathwater enjoyed in a moment of relaxation, or of an opulent fountain.

BETWEEN EXTREMES

Images of floods and wrecks evoke the threatening and destructive power of water. In depictions of icy glaciers disappearing more and more quickly, water appears both sublime and uncanny. At the same time, artist Nadine Fecht addresses the increasing scarcity of water in her series of drawings appropriately titled alerts – Warnungen, which was produced under extreme circumstances.