INSTALLATION BEST PEACE SOLUTIONS WAY OF THE WATER

In honor of the re-opening of the The Living Art Museum on July 30th, Best Peace Solutions and Vita Motus have joined to bring beauty, function, and community collaboration to Reykjavik’s city center with Way of the Water – a multi-story rain shelter and art installation.

Best Peace Solutions is an international foundation based in Reykjavik. Their mission is to engage conversations about better socio-economic practices by supporting community-oriented arts and culture. The Way of the Water installation exemplifies this mission by bringing together artists to breathe new life into an public space in a way that highlights the contemporary underground art scene while paying homage to Reykjavik’s cultural heritage.

Way of the Water will stand for two months behind the famous Vatnsberinn (Water Carrier) sculpture by Ásmundur Sveinsson. This sculpture has become an emblem of the strength and hardship of women as well as a symbol of community and equality. Way of the Water is a modern continuation of the story of The Water Carrier – the bright colors symbolize equality, and its purpose is to bring community together by “carrying” water (rain-shelter).

Way of the Water has been generously commissioned by BPS and was made possible by a grant from the Annenberg Foundation. Along with BPS and Vita Motus, many others have also donated time and resources to this project including Iceland Air Cargo, Rockit Cargo and Delta Airlines.

Special thanks to Josh Flemming, Alex Lazarus, Barbara Klein, and Leah Barlow for donating their time to the project.

Photography: Barbra Klein