Elise Morin’s Water Carrier Installation Draws Attention to Water Resources in Slovakia

<a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/elise-morin/" target="_blank">Elise Morin's</a> latest waste material art installation, <a href="http://www.biela-noc.sk/en/elis-morin-water-carrier/" target="_blank">Water Carrier</a> is a unique water-themed project for the <a href="http://www.biela-noc.sk/" target="_blank">“Biela Noc” (White Night) festival</a> in Kosice, Slovakia. Using 5000 reclaimed test tubes, Morin created a series of sculptures in the artificial Mlýnský Nahon river that draw attention to the city's water resources. The test tubes are filled with a biodegradable water tracer called Fluorescein that glowed neon green at first, but eventually faded away. The unique light installation raised awareness about water, pollution and the effects of humans on nature.

You may remember Morin's last installation, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/wastelandscape-65000-discarded-cds-form-a-sea-of-metallic-dunes-in-paris/">WasteLandscape</a>, where she used used 65,000 reclaimed CD's to create artificial dunes in a warehouse in Paris.

Her new installation uses 5,000 reclaimed test tubes as part of a larger illuminated sculpture on a waterway in Kosice in eastern Slovakia.

Many people assumed the waterway is natural, but in fact it has a concrete bottom and can be drained. <a href="http://elise-morin.com/" target="_blank">Morin</a> was able to drain the waterway and install her structures built by Peter Lipovec.

Then test tubes were inserted into custom wooden frames.

The test tubes were then filled with water dyed with Fluroescein and the waterway was refilled in about 2 hrs.

Lighting design of the installation was provided by Brano Bernár.

The resulting illuminated installation deputed on White Night in Kosice and passersby were treated to a haunting scene on the water.

Like chandeliers on the water, <a href="http://www.biela-noc.sk/en/elis-morin-water-carrier/" target="_blank">Water Carrier</a> glowed a disturbing neon color that many people probably thought was toxic.

In fact, the water was not toxic and the color eventually faded with sun and rain.

The point was to raise people's awareness about the waterway.

Water Carrier investigated and celebrated the water as a constant yet volatile global resource - a fundamental element, it's environmental issues, political dilemmas, and its universal theme and symbol for life.

Morin installing Water Carrier.

Waterway is drained while Morin installs her sculptures.