Water as a Symbolic and Existential Medium in Contemporary Art

Phenomenology, Symbolism, and the Relationship with the Viewer

Bibliographic Data

ID21974121
AuthorsAnna Maria Wierzbicka (0000-0003-4548-6844, Warsaw University of Technology), Marta Nawrocka (0009-0004-7713-3108, Warsaw University of Technology, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume15
Issue7
Pages154
Publication date2026-07-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArts (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2076-0752 • E-ISSN: 2076-0752
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/arts15070154
OpenAlexW7166872304
LanguageEN
References cited15

The article examines water as a symbolic and existential medium in contemporary art. Water, present in culture since the earliest times, constitutes both a fundamental condition of life and one of the most enduring archetypes of human imagination. The analysis is conducted from two theoretical perspectives: phenomenological, focusing on the embodied experience, and symbolic, presenting the cultural and spiritual meanings attributed to water, as well as contemporary concepts examining its role in relational and site-specific art. Particular attention is devoted to the analysis of selected case studies in which water serves as a medium for transformation, introspection, and boundary. The findings indicate that in contemporary art, water functions as a multidimensional medium, engaging all the viewer’s senses and eliciting profound aesthetic and existential experiences. At the same time, its use reveals tensions between the authentic message and the risk of greenwashing, or over-technologization. The article emphasizes that the combination of symbolic depth with a responsible approach is crucial for the credibility of water as an artistic medium

Archetype · Credibility · Embodied cognition · Existentialism · Reflexivity · The Symbolic · Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution · Environmental Philosophy and Ethics · Posthumanist Ethics and Activism

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