Daniel Bozhkov : Regine Basha

Daniel Bozhkov
Cantata for Twelve Choirs and Several Salamanders
detail

Daniel Bozhkov: Cantata for Twelve Choirs and Several Salamanders

Arthouse at the Jones Center
University of North Texas, Denton
Atlanta Center for Contemporary Art
Fall – Spring 2006-2007

The first US solo exhibition and commission of new film production by the artist. It featured a survey exhibition of Bozhkov’s work from the previous five years as well as the creation of two works based on the use and potential role of water and water collection and preservation after spending nearly a year visiting Texas. In Austin, Bozhkov’s musical film highlighted a natural spring known to have halted a Wal Mart development project due to the presence of a tiny endangered salamander. The production (made in collaboration with artist Cauleen Smith) brought together ‘a group of unlikely choirs’ (children’s choir, gay, lesbian, barbershop, gospel, classical) to sing the negro spiritual, ‘Wade in the Water’ once written in code to aid escaping slaves. A rainwater collecting apparatus was turned into a microphone which also rendered the pool / amphitheater into the form of a satellite dish. In Denton, the artist created a functioning rainwater collecting unit (in collaboration with inventor, Richard Heineken) that sustains a small garden planted outside the art building, which has now become a permanent public art piece on campus.

For more information and catalog see arthousetexas.org