Becoming a Body of Water
Video installation, mixed media, Kortrijk Triennial, Texture Museum, Kortrijk (BE), 2024, room-filling set-up
In this installation Sarah Westphal immerses the viewer in a meditative landscape where the oceanic meets the terrestrial. Like an evolving ecosystem, the installation is gradually built on-site with focus on circularity. Plants are 3D-printed using plastic from the ocean, and mosses, lichens, and algae from Japan, placed in a state of dormancy, are reused in future.
Shadows on the floor evoke a subtle sense of water and undefined depth. The work reflects on the relationship between animals, plants, the Earth, artificial materials, humans, and other life forms. It explores the interconnections between plant, aquatic, mineral, animal, and human worlds, attempting to transcend the binaries of land and sea.
A looping video mirrors the endless movement of waves. A soundscape—featuring the artist’s underwater breathing in sync with the ocean’s pulse—resonates through the space, shifting as viewers move, at times drawing closer, at others fading, pulling them deeper into the space.
Drawn by curiosity, adventure, and awe of the unknown, Westphal began exploring what lies beneath the water’s surface. To experience what it means to be part of this vast oceanic ecosystem, she is learning to dive and film underwater, immersing herself in its magical world. Moving beyond her familiar land-based practice, Westphal enters the water, encountering her vulnerability. She experiences the currents, shifting colors, and altered sounds, as light bends, scatters, and filters in unfamiliar ways. Through this, she learns from the ocean, letting go of control and embracing new ways of being, collaborating with it to create together.
The work builds on conversations with scientists from the University of Tokyo, the National Institute for Environmental Studies (Tsukuba), and the Japanese Coral Reef Society, addressing Japan’s relationship with the sea and the urgency of marine conservation amid climate change.
As visitors' eyes adjust to the darkness and become absorbed by it, they are invited to slow down. The installation fosters a deeper awareness of how we relate to our surroundings. As we learn and explore different ways of being, Becoming a Body of Water invites the visitor to be more present in the world—not as a passive observer, but as an active participant engaging in a more embodied way. We are not separate, but immersed in the experience—an invitation to heal our relationship with what surrounds us and with ourselves.