CASABLANCA BIENNIAL 2026 (Morocco, Africa)
PROJECT: AQUAS
ARTIST: EUGENIA VARGAS PEREIRA
CURATED BY: MARISA CAICHIOLO
AGUAS is an ongoing exploration of rivers, inviting voluntary community participation through a ritual of cleansing the river. The installation simulates a large-scale analog darkroom, going beyond mere aesthetic expression.
The work consists of 55 developing trays, each illuminated by an amber or red light bulb suspended from the ceiling with white electrical cables. These cables emerge from a tangled mass overhead, forming an intricate network above the trays. Within each tray, a photograph of a woman or man interacting with the river is submerged in water. The installation evokes a space where images slowly emerge and fade—mirroring the tragic and relentless transformation of the natural world under the pressures of climate change and human neglect. Yet within this slow vanishing lies a quiet potential: a reminder that when we come together—with awareness, creativity, and care—we can interrupt the cycle and shape a more compassionate relationship with the Earth.
More than a visual experience, AGUAS becomes a space for contemplation. Community is the heart and soul of this project. Volunteers will be invited to take selfies, which will be placed in the developing trays. Each participant captures an image of themselves as a metaphor for the act of becoming a visual narrator—an intimate witness to the connection between our bodies and the natural flow of the environment. These images reflect the inherent interdependence between nature and our lives.
AGUAS becomes not just a meditation on environmental degradation, but a collaborative act of care, listening, and restoration.
OPEN CALL
A Voluntary Invitation to Collaborate, Healing the Waters in Palm Beach, Honoring What Connects Us
Dear Community:
You are invited to join me in a voluntary act of collaboration, a ritual to care for the (insert area) and to celebrate the vibrant, diverse community that makes this city alive. This is more than a cleanup. It is an offering of care and connection – to the land, to one another, and to the stories that run through us like water.
What We’ll Do Together:
We’ll gather as a community to clean and tend a section of the river or creek, offering our presence and intention as an act of healing.
Your Presence, Your Story, Our City:
As part of this shared ritual, I invite you to take a selfie, a quiet moment of reflection, pride, or joy. These portraits will be woven into my upcoming photo installation: At DIVERSEartPB, a living archive of the people who make this city what it is.
This is for everyone. All backgrounds. All identities. All ages. Whether you’ve lived in Palm Beach your whole life or just arrived, you are part of its story and this ritual is for you.
Bring:
Gloves, a reusable water bottle. Your presence. Your story. Your willingness to collaborate. Let’s gather to care for the river, to witness one another, and to honor the beauty of our shared city, together, and with open hearts.
With love and gratitude,
Eugenia Vargas-Pereira, Artist
Marisa Caichiolo, DIVERSEartLA Curator
Community Members
The work consists of 55 developing trays, each illuminated by an amber or red light bulb suspended from the ceiling with white electrical cables. These cables emerge from a tangled mass overhead, forming an intricate network above the trays. Within each tray, a photograph of a woman or man interacting with the river is submerged in water. The installation evokes a space where images slowly emerge and fade—mirroring the tragic and relentless transformation of the natural world under the pressures of climate change and human neglect. Yet within this slow vanishing lies a quiet potential: a reminder that when we come together—with awareness, creativity, and care—we can interrupt the cycle and shape a more compassionate relationship with the Earth.
More than a visual experience, AGUAS becomes a space for contemplation. Community is the heart and soul of this project. Volunteers will be invited to take selfies, which will be placed in the developing trays. Each participant captures an image of themselves as a metaphor for the act of becoming a visual narrator—an intimate witness to the connection between our bodies and the natural flow of the environment. These images reflect the inherent interdependence between nature and our lives.
AGUAS becomes not just a meditation on environmental degradation, but a collaborative act of care, listening, and restoration.
OPEN CALL
A Voluntary Invitation to Collaborate, Healing the Waters in Palm Beach, Honoring What Connects Us
Dear Community:
You are invited to join me in a voluntary act of collaboration, a ritual to care for the (insert area) and to celebrate the vibrant, diverse community that makes this city alive. This is more than a cleanup. It is an offering of care and connection – to the land, to one another, and to the stories that run through us like water.
What We’ll Do Together:
We’ll gather as a community to clean and tend a section of the river or creek, offering our presence and intention as an act of healing.
Your Presence, Your Story, Our City:
As part of this shared ritual, I invite you to take a selfie, a quiet moment of reflection, pride, or joy. These portraits will be woven into my upcoming photo installation: At DIVERSEartPB, a living archive of the people who make this city what it is.
This is for everyone. All backgrounds. All identities. All ages. Whether you’ve lived in Palm Beach your whole life or just arrived, you are part of its story and this ritual is for you.
Bring:
Gloves, a reusable water bottle. Your presence. Your story. Your willingness to collaborate. Let’s gather to care for the river, to witness one another, and to honor the beauty of our shared city, together, and with open hearts.
With love and gratitude,
Eugenia Vargas-Pereira, Artist
Marisa Caichiolo, DIVERSEartLA Curator
Community Members
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