Waterscape / Paysage aquatique

I make sounds of water. I explore sounds from rivers to streams, the ocean, rain, and deep underwater. With each sound I explore, I delve into the profound question: why do humans harbor such an innate desire to listen to water?

Water, a symbol of life and tranquility, also embodies the complexities of human emotion — from the serene calmness it evokes to the deep currents of fear and uncertainty it stirs within us. It is this duality that captivates me, as water seamlessly transitions between embodying peace and instilling fear.

When I participated in the exhibition River of Oblivion in Korea in 2016, I encountered Gaston Bachelard’s book L’eau et les rêves [Water and Dreams] (1942) which ignited my curiosity and laid the foundation for my artistic research. 

I posit that our affinity for water stems from primordial experiences, perhaps rooted in our prenatal existence within the womb. The comforting embrace of amniotic fluid resonates within us, fostering a deep-seated connection to water's soothing embrace. During the performance Water and Dreams (2022), I made various sounds of water, witnessing a newborn baby serenely enveloped in the auditory embrace. It led me to think of a fetus in the womb with lingering sensory memories.

As I gaze upon the boundless expanse of the sea and rivers, I am overwhelmed by imaginations that we are perpetually drafting within the womb of the earth, forever intertwined with the ebb and flow of its waters.

— Lina Choi