Doyle Wham | Water Dixon: The Venus Effect

Doyle Wham is delighted to announce the launch of The Venus Effect, an exhibition of South African artist duo WATER DIXON.

Water Dixon are simultaneously artists and alchemists. Through years of collaboration and experimentation with materials such as copper, glass and brass, they have developed unique metallurgical processes that accelerate the natural chemical reactions caused by time, oxygen and heat.

The title, The Venus Effect, refers to the art historical tradition seen in the paintings of Rubens, Titian and Velazquez of depicting the goddess Venus in the form of a mirror reflection. A symbol of pleasure and femininity, Venus has also come to represent the gap that exists between observation and reality.

Throughout the exhibition, the relationship between material, person and environment will be celebrated more intimately through a series of performances: dinner parties where food will be prepared directly on copper slabs using flame-based methods. The surface of these slabs will transform throughout the time-bound performance as a result of these interactions, until they are rendered complete artworks at the close of the event – capturing a special moment in time.

“We are fascinated by the obscure and magical journey that a material such as copper has been on: from an exploding star, to a primitive tool. Copper is found in our soil, our blood and our respiratory system. It has hidden stories to be revealed.”

— Water Dixon