Tag Archives: water

Sand Stone Shadow Waves (Namib Desert)

We have spent some time in Namibia and worked on some creative projects. It was lovely to be back in the desert. The desert feels like home to me. There is a special connection, which I just cannot put into words.

This is one of the first works I created in the Namib desert, in the dune belt south of Swakopmund.

Fortunatley my husband loves to join me in the desert and with my creative projects. He enjoys to document my process, and then editing it into beautiful little artvideos and composing the music for it. These videos bring a new dimension to my work. It also shows the beautiful landscape in a new perspective and puts my work in scale and relation to the surroundings.

Some more images:

Creative Encounters

And while working I had a lovely and curious visitor. This little guy hopped along very closely as I collected the stones without a sign of fear. He seemed to just enjoy the activity and maybe the company. I thought of offering him some water in the shade which the car gave (the only shade wide and far). He accepted and some time later another little friend came to join him. I just love these unexpected moments of deep connection with nature.

Bird checking out my creative experiments.

Namibian Video Art in Korea

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Still image of ‘Toxic Water’ video artwork by Imke Rust

How awesome is that? My video work has been selected for the Geumgang Nature Art Biennale 2016 (Video exhibition)!

I am so excited that ‘Toxic Water’ is currently shown in the Republik of Korea till the end of November 2016. If you happen to be around that part of the world, go and have a look!

You can find more information on the webpage of the Geumgang Nature Art Biennale 2016 .

My apologies for the having been pretty quiet in the past few months and now sending you some updates in a shorter time. I have planned another über-exciting one for Monday, so please bear with me. Things have been hectic and difficult on many fronts, but much has also led up to all the exciting prospects happening in my career at the moment.

I am so grateful for your continued interest and support and did not want you to miss out on this news. 🙂

Geumgang Nature Art Biennale – Invitation

Here are some behind-the-scenes images from the making of the video art work. Please click on the images to see a larger version:

: Making off Toxic Water Video Art

: Making off Toxic Water Video Art

: Making off Toxic Water Video Art

: Making off Toxic Water Video Art

: Making off Toxic Water Video Art

: Making off Toxic Water Video Art

Rainmaking Experiment #3

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Notes – Rainmaker Experiment #3:

Finding the rain inside of me

23/01/13 – Farm Otukaru, Namibia

A hot day – dry earth, clouds on the distant horizon and an empty dam. Ideal to start this experiment.

Be.
Rain.
Have the intention.
Imagine.

Have fun.
Lighthearted play.

Notice.
The bringer of rain.
The wind.
Swaying my body.

Recognize it everywhere I look.
My blue toenails like large water drops.
The butterflies…
The clouds on the distant horizon.

Blue raindrop nails and butterflys attracted by them...

Blue raindrop nails and butterflies attracted by them…

Feel the heat.
Be grateful for it.

Touch a tree. Climb it.
Touch the earth. Caress it.

On my favourite tree – in awe how they survive through so much dryness and still have grey-green leaves.

Looking down at the earth…

Touch water. Play with it.
Throw it into the air to create drops.

Happiness.

Throwing water drops…

Use my fingers, dipped into water
To paint raining clouds on rusted surfaces.

Drawing water

Rain cloud painted with water on a rusted drum. drying quickly.

Use a stick to draw a raining cloud
On the dry sandy road.

Believe.

Rain cloud drawn onto dry earth with a stick

Notice how I sweat.
Being in touch with my own wetness.
Be grateful for the water inside of me.
Pouring out.

Take a cold shower,
A cool, wet relief.
Closing my eyes,
Imagining the cold water as rain on my skin.
More gratefulness.

Drops start falling outside.
Finally.
Rain.

Finally it is raining

Today it is raining in Berlin. The rain reminded me of my rainmaking experiments in Namibia. I always wanted to share the notes and pics I have made of this experiment, but the time never felt right. So, sitting with a grey sky and the sound of rain outside of my window, I am enjoying the memories of some time gone by and sharing them with you!

This also links up nicely to my previous post about rituals, explaining how the ancient rainmaker or shaman would connect with the spirit of the rain through a ritual.

Today I am grateful for the rain and joyously breathe in the fresh, wet air!

Taking my goldfish for a swim in the snow

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I desperately needed to cheer myself up… The sunless grey days of German winter needed some warmth and the beautiful white landscapes some colour.

Fortunately I brought some really cute, really bright orange goldfish along from Namibia and decided to take them for a swim in unusual places.

Interventions like these are fun. And important. I slowly realize that these ‘small’ and playful things, which I am usually doing on the spur of the moment, are not that frivolous at all. I might just be following a hunch or a simple, but fascinating idea, at the time and only see the relevance to my life or the bigger picture later. And then I am surprised how these simple creative processes help me to make sense of my life and emotions.

Since I arrived in Berlin in the middle of February, I struggled to adjust to the cold and sunless weather here. Even though I have been regularly moving between the two continents and cultures for some time now, I am still not managing the change very well. I really enjoy Berlin and all that it has to offer, but I have to admit, as a born and bred Namibian I still feel like a fish out of water in Europe.

Taking my goldfish out into nature, letting them brighten up the day, wobble through the snow and glide up into the sky reminded me that I could choose to embrace the unease and stress I am experiencing because I am out of my comfort zone. To focus on the bright side and willingly submit to the growth-pains which are a necessary if we do not want to stay stuck in the same old rut. And to explore the advantages: more freedom to discover unusual and new things, having fun in simple ways and being able to see the world with a fresh and unconditioned mind.

And for a while the excitement of placing my cute goldfish all over the place and photographing them made me forget my unusually low tolerance to the cold and my gloomy mood. 🙂

Finding a trickle of flowing water ©Imke Rust

Taking my goldfish for a swim ©Imke Rust

Creative Encounters

Finding the rain inside of me

Drops start falling outside. Finally. Rain.

Drops start falling outside.
Finally.
Rain.