Bigert & Bergström (Mats Bigert, Lars Bergström)

In the exhibition"The Drought" at Gallery Niklas Belenius, Bigert & Bergström continued investigating the escalating climatic threat using salt as a symbol of thirst. Bigert & Bergström’s exhibition continued the duo’s investigation into various climatic threats and how man and earth respond to them.

The works originate from two research trips in the Mediterranean region; one to the ancient salt pans of Margherita di Savoia on the Adriatic coast of Italy and the other to the newly built desalination plant at the Llobregat River outside Barcelona in Spain.

A central piece of the exhibition was the "Hourglass". The looped sculpture, blown out of proportion and filled with 100 kg of salt, conjures a deus ex machina suggesting that we have infinite time on our hands to grapple with the crisis of an atmosphere in flux.

In connection with the exhibition, the artists published "The Drought", a 72-page field guide on the project. The book was designed by Björn Kusoffsky and Patrice Miodec, Open Design Lab, Stockholm. The opening essay "Sea Thirst and Fear" was written by D.Graham Burnett.