Look up look carefully (Water towers)

Look up look carefully (Water towers / Wasserturm-VR)

Hàng Đậu Water tower – Hanoi, Vietnam 2018

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Mixed media (Photography Book, Sculpture, Video Installation, VR)

2018 – present

Water towers – “châteaux d’eau” in French – form an imposing feature in many towns and cities acros Vietnam with an alien architectural presence attracting attention with size and shape. Each tower tells its own story: about their builders and about the rise, fall and change in societies and régimes of the country.

The water tower is an analogue of the hero, serving only the régime which constructs it and failing to transpose its function and strength to new rulers, despite its structure remaining sound. However, unlike clear symbols of political power, the water tower remains relatively immune from the explicit atempts of rulers to exert their influence.

Initiated in 2018 through numerous documentation photos, fragmented videos, and installations, the project interrogates its extended question: “How can foreign structures become part of collective history and heritage ?” The “Wasserturm-VR” project uses 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and VR technology to create immersive, interactive experiences. It encourages visitors to explore these unofficial industrial/cultural heritage sites as digital traces, stimulating discussion about their alien presence.

Sneak peak from "Water tower-VR" / "Wasserturm-VR", 2023

The VR experience is set to launch in October 2024.
Updates on the project's progress and upcoming shows will be available here on the website.