I needed a break from my day and so I took a walk down the river and ducked into Eau Claire Market to locate a piece of contemplative aquatic art I had heard about.

Until November 7, 2021 at The New Gallery, Christophe Jivraj’s The Swimmers can be viewed. This video installation which runs continuously daily examines, through two underwater video recorders which are projected simultaneously from opposite ends of the swimming pool, a group of swimmers and their relationship with the water. Those swimmers in the foreground, the subject of this piece, all have a disability, either cognitive or physical and Christophe has worked with them both as a caregiver and an artist over a number of years. The result of his relationship and work is a candid and mesmorizing portrayal of people not often represented in art. The screen is suspended alone in a stark and darkened room and the movements on the screen, the swimmers’ relationship with the water, are both fluid and awkward, both inspiring and curious. You can stay a minute or an hour. I spent about thirty minutes while the noise of the mall melted behind me.
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