by Zara Yost / Image via @marvintoure
Marvin Touré’s the blood is the water at the Mattress Factor is the third exhibition to open alongside Isla Hansen and Catalina Schliebener Muñoz’s work at the Mattress Factory. Touré is an Ivorian-American interdisciplinary artist who examines the implications of death, consciousness, and love with fabricated anecdotes and objects of innocence.
the blood is the water exhibition must be entered by way of Handrail (1993), a long-term work by the Chicago Collaboration at the Mattress Factory. Handrail (1993) is a chute of water embedded in the railings of the stairway between the second and third floors of the museum. In Touré’s deliberate use of this work, each step taken towards the blood is the water is filled with the trickling sound of water, making it an immersive experience before even reaching the exhibition on the third floor.
As you ascend to the exhibition, the water falls. Water symbolizes fluidity, adaptability, and resilience in the face of adversity; water is a recurring theme in Touré’s work that encapsulates the profound metaphorical significance of the Black diasporic experience and the transformative power of movement and displacement. Water is also an element that reflects Touré’s journey as a West African American artist. The exhibition gains added significance by intentionally connecting the Chicago Collaboration work to the theme of a new artist at Mattress Factory, who incorporates the permanent installations of other artists. This connection is similar to Muñoz’s work in conversation with Greer Lankton. The component adds depth to the overall concept. It raises questions about the relationship between blood and water and the significance of Handrail (1993) in this context and touches on the overall motifs of Touré’s work.
On the top floor, you enter a nebulous room with clay-red walls. There is darkness and stillness, but there is energy. The black floor has broken reddish-orange orbs scattered around the center, giving the impression of a cave with stalagmites. Inside the orbs, there is a black, tar-like substance. This substance is a familiar pattern for those familiar with Touré’s work. With the red walls, Touré references his childhood in Georgia. To further emphasize this significance, the sculptures are adorned with soil from the very land that inspired their creation. Georgia’s clay, its land, and the historical context of the state is infused into Touré’s work.
Touré also used a dripping technique to add resin to his sculptures and the gallery floor. The way the resin flows down the sculptures’ surfaces and onto the floor is reminiscent of water droplets pooling and is a deliberate choice by Touré to evoke the symbolism of water. Water holds great importance in African American culture and throughout the diaspora, symbolizing life, purification, and renewal. Whether it be through the use of water as a metaphor for freedom, as in spirituals sung by enslaved peoples, baptism, or the depiction of water as a site of trauma and loss, as seen in contemporary literature and films, these references to water offer a powerful glimpse into the Black experience. For instance, in the context of capitalism and forced labor, water has been used as a metaphor for the exploitation of Black labor in industries such as sugar and cotton, especially in the context of Georgia’s history with slavery, cotton, and the prison-industrial complex. Likewise, in the context of migration, water has been used to represent both the perilous journey of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic and the ongoing struggles of Black peoples who are forced to flee their homes due to war, poverty, and political persecution.
Furthermore, the exhibition comments on the environmental issues that disproportionately impact Black communities—such as water pollution, flooding, and drought. From the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan, to the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans to the scarcity of potable water in Central-West Côte d’Ivoire—Touré’s ancestry and lineage— the intersection of race and environmental justice is brought to the forefront through the lens of water. By exploring these themes and issues, Black artists have been able to offer powerful insights into the experiences of Black people and Black communities worldwide. In many African cultures, water holds a significant place in the philosophical triad, as it is an integral part of the natural world alongside the sky and the earth. Among the three, water stands out as the most dynamic and versatile realm, constantly changing and endlessly traversable. Its fluidity symbolizes life, motion, and transformation, making it an essential element in numerous cultures and belief systems throughout history. Touré, too, applies his experience and perspective in the blood is the water by attributing water to his kin and the mythological, symbolic force of water.
Touré states in the exhibition text: “I grew up hearing stories of mythical creatures, spirits, and the magic of West Africa and the American South. Although familial mythologies carried similar themes, they were particularly potent. They simultaneously carried an ability to root me in the historical and connect me to the fantastical,” and concludes, “The blood is the water that connects us. An eternal river through space and time. In this new world, we build systems. Pathways to animate what we craft here with what was bequeathed, the resonance of an embodied vessel. It’s in us, not on us.”
The installation continues into a larger, more cavernous room. There are pipes and broken organic orbs stacked on top of each other sculpture pieces. Water “drips” into the bottom of a shell-like sphere. The installation exudes a surreal and futuristic atmosphere, evocative of a sci-fi blockbuster. Its intricate details and otherworldly design elements transport the viewer’s imagination to a realm of science fiction and mythological fantasy. The futuristic vibe of the installation brings to mind the work of visionary director Jordan Peele, with its intricate attention to detail and otherworldly atmosphere.
In Touré’s exhibition, the artist reimagines the intricate networks of pipes, the flawed vessels, and the thorough material studies as powerful symbols that depict the essence of lineage and legacy. With an eye for detail and a profound understanding of the interconnectivity of things, Touré creates an alluring visual narrative that invites the viewer to ponder the intricate nature of familial ties and the profound impact of the past on the present, of fiction and reality.
Zara Yost is an interdisciplinary artist, curator, and writer living in Pittsburgh. Her career is heavily influenced by her time in Chicago’s music and art scene. She has written for publications such as Newcity, the Chicago Reader, and Fnewsmagazine. Zara is best known for her work with organizations such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, United States Artists, Boston Society for Architecture, and The Roberto Clemente Museum.
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