Water Will Be Here

Nighttime photograph showing a urban storefront showing a video of a contiguous body of water projected across 4 of its windows; lower half of the project is dark blue water, the upper half is light blue sky — Photo by Kieko Niwa

Brooklyn, 2010

Photograph of a women's silhouette is shown in front of a projection of a body of water that is up to her chest; a blue sky is behind her — Photo by Kieko Niwa

Water Will Be Here premiered at the Dumbo Arts Festival in 2010 where it measured roughly 80’ x 9 and runs 50’ on loop.

Water Will Be Here, Brooklyn

Viewers interacting with the piece on opening night

Atlanta, 2011

Water Will Be Here, Atlanta

In 2011 Water Will Be Here was shown as a 12 channel video installation at FLUX, which took place in the Castleberry Hill area of Atlanta. It measured roughly 225’ x 10’.

Nighttime photograph of a large commercial center with six of its street-level storefront windows showing a contiguous video projection of water ebbing and flowing. — *Water Will Be Here* in Atlanta, GA

Photograph of a relatively dark, cavernous space (like the inside of an large, empty commercial building) with art festival goers milling about, some of whom have climbed into the windows to interact with what's being projected onto them (the water scene described above). On the upper left of the photograph one can see a line of about a dozen projectors shining light across the empty space onto the windows. — *Water Will Be Here* in Atlanta, GA (interior)

Photograph of the back of a seemingly teenage girl wearing a backpack staring at the life-size projection of water in front of her. We see her shadow in the projection of the water. — *Water Will Be Here* in Toronto, Ontario (interior), photo by Seb

Nighttime photograph of about a dozen people, all with their backs to the camera, looking at the projected image of a body of water in front of them. In the middle of the projected image is a large silhouette of a figure performing a dance maneuver, which is quite striking if you ask me. — *Water Will Be Here* in Toronto, Ontario (interior), photo by Seb

Photograph of the artist, Eric Corriel, swaying while playing piano in the corner of a gallery, which is mostly dark. Projected onto the two walls that form the corner is his piece, Water Will Be Here, which I'm sure you've guessed by now, consists of an video of a body of water. — *Water Will Be Here* performance in Manhattan, NY, photo by Brett Wood

Small thumbnail image of Nighttime photograph of a large commercial center with six of its street-level storefront windows showing a contiguous video projection of water ebbing and flowing.

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a relatively dark, cavernous space (like the inside of an large, empty commercial building) with art festival goers milling about, some of whom have climbed into the windows to interact with what's being projected onto them (the water scene described above). On the upper left of the photograph one can see a line of about a dozen projectors shining light across the empty space onto the windows.

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of the back of a seemingly teenage girl wearing a backpack staring at the life-size projection of water in front of her. We see her shadow in the projection of the water.

Small thumbnail image of Nighttime photograph of about a dozen people, all with their backs to the camera, looking at the projected image of a body of water in front of them. In the middle of the projected image is a large silhouette of a figure performing a dance maneuver, which is quite striking if you ask me.

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of the artist, Eric Corriel, swaying while playing piano in the corner of a gallery, which is mostly dark. Projected onto the two walls that form the corner is his piece, Water Will Be Here, which I'm sure you've guessed by now, consists of an video of a body of water.

Toronto, 2012

Water Will Be Here, Toronto

In 2012, Water Will Be Here was shown at the Nuit Blanche Festival in downtown Toronto. It was installed at the CICB Building and measured 60’ x 8’.

From August 10, 2013 to August 25th, 2013 Water Will Be Here was shown at the Southampton Center in the Southampton, Long Island. This installation marks the first time video wrapped around the interior of a space, creating an immersive environment. Furthering the resonance of this indoor environment was a custom engineered robot that made the 45' x 15' foot stage curtain billow as though being undulated by wind.

Another unique feature of this installation was the fact that there happened to be a piano on stage. The artist—a self-taught pianist—took to the stage to give improvised performances, which ultimately led to the performance in New York City below.

The piece measured 150’ x 10’. The robot is running on custom software written by the artist for the RobotPower MegaMoto controller shield for Arduino.

Manhattan, 2014

Water Will Be Here, New York City

This piano performance consists of an original composition written and performed by the artist to accompany Water Will Be Here.

Photograph of a crowd of people sitting down in a dark gallery space with a body of water projected on the walls behind — *Water Will Be Here, New York City*; photo by Brett Wood

This installation marks the first time performance is incorporated into Water Will Be Here. In fact, it is only the second time I’ve ever performed anything at all in public. While the performance itself certainly has its merits and demerits, what excites me most is that this piece, which debuted in 2010, is still evolving. From windows (in Brooklyn) to an enclosed interior space (in Southampton) to being accompanied by a live piano performance, this piece continues to change forms and expand its boundaries.

The performance was given for the New York Foundation of the Arts’ (NYFA) Young Patrons of the Arts Benefit and took place at Garis & Hahn in New York City, on March 5th, 2014. This iteration of the piece wrapped around three contiguous walls to form a viewing surface of roughly 45’. The piano composition is 9’00 long and can be started at any point during the video.

Milwaukee, 2015

Nighttime photograph of a body of water projected into the storefront windows of a gallery — *Water Will Be Here, Milwaukee*; Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

In 2015, Water Will Be Here was shown in the windows of the Institute of Visual Arts (INOVA) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as part of Placing the Golden Spike: Landscape of the Anthropocene.

Baltimore, 2016

#waterwillbehere @lightcitybmore #letsscience. Up till Saturday in Baltimore

A photo posted by Eric Corriel (@ericcorriel)

In 2016 Water Will Be Here was part of Light City in Baltimore where it measured approximately 55’ x 18’ and was projected onto the facade of the Maryland Science Center, which sits just feet away from Baltimore’s harbor. It was estimated to have been seen by over 400,000 people.

Stavanger, Norway; 2017

Water Will Be Here on Norwegian television

In 2017, Water Will Be Here was selected for the Screen City biennial and was shown in Stavanger's Maritime Museum. Full broadcast coverage of the festival is available (in Norwegian) on NRK's website.

Brooklyn, 2018

Water Will Be Here was shown three times in New York in 2018: at Pioneer Works’ Village Fête, The Universe In Verse event, and at The Cultivist’s Gala. Showing at Pioneer Works was something of a homecoming for the piece as it was filmed at nearby Valentino Pier in Red Hook. Also, the water level was projected roughly 5 feet off the ground—the same height as the water inside Pioneer Works during Superstorm Sandy.

Overhead shot of a gala event—dozens of elegently decorated tables with white table cloths and well-dressed people sitting at them. Behind them, on a long white wall, a video of a body of water is projected — *Water Will Be Here*, Pioneer Works Village Fête, photo by Ben Mistak

Overhead shot of a gala event, over elegently decorated tables with well-dressed people seated at them. Behind them, on a long white wall, a video of a body of water is projected — *Water Will Be Here*, Pioneer Works Village Fête, photo by Ben Mistak

Foreground: white table clothed tables with numbers suggesting a gala event, though no one is seated at them yet. Middleground: a server pours water into a glass. Background: a video of a body of water is projected on a white wall. — *Water Will Be Here*, Pioneer Works Village Fête, photo by Ben Mistak

Photograph of an event in which approximately a hundred people are seated—we see the backs of their heads. In the background is a women on stage, reading (a poem). Behind her is a screen with text that reads 'The Universe In Verse,' which is flanked on both sides by a projection of video of water on a brick wall. — *Water Will Be Here*, Universe In Verse, photo by the artist

John Cameron Mitchell gestures with a finger raised to the sky as he reads a poem to an audience. A video of a body of water is projected on to the interior brick wall behind him. — *Water Will Be Here*, Universe In Verse, photo by the artist

Similar to the last shot except from a different angle. — *Water Will Be Here*, Universe In Verse, photo by the artist

Water Will Be Here, Universe In Verse, photo by the artist

Photograph of a large empty room with over a hundred empty folding chairs. A small stage is in the center and above it a screen indicates the name of the event: 'The Universe In Verse.' A video of a body of water is projected on the brick wall in the background. — *Water Will Be Here*, Universe In Verse, photo by the artist

Small thumbnail image of Overhead shot of a gala event—dozens of elegently decorated tables with white table cloths and well-dressed people sitting at them. Behind them, on a long white wall, a video of a body of water is projected

Small thumbnail image of Overhead shot of a gala event, over elegently decorated tables with well-dressed people seated at them. Behind them, on a long white wall, a video of a body of water is projected

Small thumbnail image of Foreground: white table clothed tables with numbers suggesting a gala event, though no one is seated at them yet. Middleground: a server pours water into a glass. Background: a video of a body of water is projected on a white wall.

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of an event in which approximately a hundred people are seated—we see the backs of their heads. In the background is a women on stage, reading (a poem). Behind her is a screen with text that reads 'The Universe In Verse,' which is flanked on both sides by a projection of video of water on a brick wall.

Small thumbnail image of John Cameron Mitchell gestures with a finger raised to the sky as he reads a poem to an audience. A video of a body of water is projected on to the interior brick wall behind him.

Small thumbnail image of Similar to the last shot except from a different angle.

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a large empty room with over a hundred empty folding chairs. A small stage is in the center and above it a screen indicates the name of the event: 'The Universe In Verse.' A video of a body of water is projected on the brick wall in the background.

John Cameron Mitchell reads Walt Whitman’s The World Beneath The Brine, set to a mashup of other readers with Water Will Be Here in the background at The Universe In Verse, an event that celebrates the intersections and overlaps of science and poetry.

Ålesund, Norway; 2019

Last clip courtsey of Water Benjamin Tomasi

Water Will Be Here was shown in Ålesund, Norway in conjunction with the Jugendstilsenteret & Kube museum from November 15th to December 12th, 2019. It was projected inside of Molo Brew, a bar located dozens of feet away from a fjord.

Panoramic photograph with Water Will Be Here - a video installation projected into the windows of a bar showing water ebbing and flowing slowly - on the left and several spectators outside of the bar on the right, with a body of water behind them — Image courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Wide shot showing Water Will Be Here (same installation as above) projected into windows of a bar about 150 feet away on the right. On the left is a body of water that is very close to the bar. — Photo by Water Benjamin Tomasi

Tight shot of Water Will Be Here projected into the windows of Molo Brew — Photo by Water Benjamin Tomasi

Interior photograph showing people at a bar doing normal bar stuff with Water Will Be Here projected in the windows behind them — Photo by Water Benjamin Tomasi

Small thumbnail image of Wide shot showing Water Will Be Here (same installation as above) projected into windows of a bar about 150 feet away on the right. On the left is a body of water that is very close to the bar.

Small thumbnail image of Tight shot of Water Will Be Here projected into the windows of Molo Brew

Small thumbnail image of Interior photograph showing people at a bar doing normal bar stuff with Water Will Be Here projected in the windows behind them

Manhattan, 2020

As art world virtually ground to a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Straight Through The Wall’s outdoor projection exhibitions offered New Yorkers a rare opportunity to see art safely. Water Will Be Here was projected on a building at the corner of East 9th Street and Avenue A, measuring approximately 35' x 20'.

Photograph of a white building in New York City which has a 35 foot tall graffiti drawing of a stick figure reaching towards the sky on the left and Water Will Be Here projected, equally as tall, on the right — Image courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Since its debut in 2010, it had been shown at least once per year for a decade, until the COVID-19 pandemic. Water Will Be Here was a fiscally sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts.

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Eric Corriel Studios

multidisciplinary art studio • immersive and interactive public art • art activism • digital/electronic art • nyc