Swimming
SWIMMING, a public art project bringing together communities in Washington DC and Bangladesh, speaking to the healing properties of water and swimming and inequities in access. Curated by Sarah Tanguy, SWIMMING is a temporary site-specific fabric installation and "VideoSoundwalk" at the outdoor plaza of the Marie Reed Elementary School & Aquatic Center. The project explores the deep and essential connections we have to water as our world faces increased flooding, drought, and rising sea levels due to climate change.
Featuring 22 blue Bangladeshi saris arranged to evoke a swimming pool and a massive wave, the exhibit is augmented by a VideoSoundwalk with QR codes that interweave poetry with sounds of water, nature, and music and images of Bose and participants creating, wearing, and interacting with the saris. The public art project has been co-created with DC residents from across the city, including Marie Reed students, teachers, and parents, and people in Bangladesh. The saris are hand-printed with water-themed woodblocks designed by Bose along with writings, art, and poetry by the community, during workshops Bose led over an eight-month period. The two-week installation will be accompanied by public engagement events, including poetry slams and performances, film screenings, and site visits/artist talks.
Marie Reed is the former Morgan school, which was desegregated along with the Adams school, giving the name to the Adams Morgan neighborhood. The Marie Reed pool is now being used by DC to teach swimming to children from various schools, a project that aims to redress racial discrimination in access to swimming. SWIMMING is a visual representation of sustainability, inclusion, and resilience and is part of Bose’s ongoing climate justice collaboration Storytelling with Saris.
