Sarah Fokke
The Watery Body
The Watery Body is an installation reflecting on the physical relationship between our human body and the natural world surrounding us. Water — which is the main material used in this installation — is an element that enables our understanding of this interconnectedness we have with all living beings. The human body consists mainly of water, it flows through us, takes the temporal shape of our bodies and then flows onward into the world. In this work sarah asked herself where her body begins and ends, when water connects us all, through space and time. The hands in the installation are a visualization of our watery bodies, consisting of algae biomaterial, locally collected water and other locally foraged natural materials. The substance of the algae biomaterial resembles water, captured in the solid form of her hands. Slowly but surely the material will decay, the water will get cloudy and the hand will rise in the water, moved by the small air bubbles formed by the rotting process. When their time has come, the hands will be returned to nature, where they can dissolve and melt back into the earth.
In her practice Sarah Fokke explores ways to visualize the interrelationship between human beings and nature itself. Mostly working with locally found, natural materials, she tries to deeply connect with her direct natural environment. By involving these natural materials, some of her works change and/or dissolve over time. The beauty and elusiveness of this transformation and temporality of the works, are an essential part of her practice.