Video performance, in loop, color, stereo sound, (0.34.07), 2017

Water, Earth, Air is a video-performance where I am submerged in muddy water, on the verge of drowning. My face disappears beneath the dark water and then reappears, highlighting the distress I experience in this condition. What prompted me to create the scenario of the natural elements and to execute this performance was the suffering of migrants who are forced to leave their countries and roots, and who face the challenges of borders. Thousands of refugees lost their lives in 2016 at sea, in the cold and rain.

The subversion of the symbolism of the three elements – earth, water, and air – as symbols of death instead of symbols of life, depicts a hell on earth and also reflects our human condition, limited by our bodies and our world. The temporal aspect of the scene, marked by slow movements of immersion and emergence of the face, evokes suffocation and anguish, intensified by a dark and monochrome image. The haunting sound immerses the viewer in this unsettling environment.

The installation involves a large-scale projection of the video in a dark room, where the sound fills the space. The looping video creates a sense of “endless battle of bodies,” challenging the impact of limits and constraints on our lives.