"Bending Water V" by Sven Påhlsson employs data technology from weather forecasting and the calculation of natural forces making simulations with a continuously changing water animation. Each shape consists of millions of virtual drops that react in same way natural drops of water would do after the laws of physics.
The video work carries rich references, particularly to water and extreme weather phenomena. It reminds us that the fear of climate change is primarily related to changes involving water—such as hurricanes, rising sea levels, floods, and droughts. At the same time, we can experience here a continuation of landscape motifs in art history over time. As in many of these, "Bending Water" presents us with an awe-inspiring nature, intangible and mysterious. An overwhelming experience of nature, with cosmic associations to black holes, galaxies, and star formations.
This captivating animation piece, which is part of the the Sørlandet Art Collection, was initially acquired for outdoor display on the silo at Kunstsilo.
Sven Påhlsson (b. 1965) is one of the most distinguished Nordic artists of our time, pioneering in virtual animations and digital technology within the Nordic art scene.