At the Waterline exhibition opens in Kilkenny
The exhibition runs at the Tea Houses on Bateman’s Quay until June 5
At the Waterline emerges from an ongoing body of artistic research exploring how islands can be understood not only as geographical locations or terrain, but as spaces through which to consider ecological systems and human experience in a time of environmental instability.
This exhibition emerges from an ongoing body of artistic research exploring how islands can be understood not only as geographical locations or terrain, but as spaces through which to consider ecological systems and human experience in a time of environmental instability.
In these edge environments, change is often accelerated and magnified. The edges between land and water become a site of attention, a space in which to witness where systems shift, overlap and transform together.
Developed through Khan’s long-term engagement with coastal, riverine and island environments, At the Waterline brings together mixed media photography, video and text, using layering as part of a process of mapping and remapping place through experience and observation. It is the artist’s documentation of water journeys, through field-based observation and images, that functions as a form of visual note- taking.
Across the work, Khan approaches the water’s edge as a threshold, where a special set of conditions provide ways of understanding connection, isolation, evolution and interdependence across systems.
The exhibition transforms into a working space: part studio, part field station. At the Waterline invites visitors into an active process of research and exploration, the gallery provides a quiet, contemplative space to encourage slow looking: a moment to pause, breathe, notice and reflect on how we encounter and understand the world around us.
Alongside the works, visitors are encouraged to contribute their own observations and responses into a shared logbook. In this way, the exhibition extends beyond viewing into a collective act of mapping, creating a living text holding the thoughts and experience of all those involved.
Presented as part of the Kilkenny County Council Arts Office Programme.