When I was preparing A Conversation Between Two Mountains project, I found out that the Gaelic language has over 40 words for rain (some resources state 100, and some go over staggering 400). Later I ended up learning that the Inuit language has 50 different words for snow. Apart from different words for water states and geographical locations of water, the English language is missing the poetic and emotional link to the omnipresent resource. Instead, we created multiple words for objects and processes through which we control and use water and most of the words are connected to the consumerist nature of our culture. 

 

Just a quick glance around a kitchen will likely reveal at least 20 objects that are connected to water-handling activities, and we have different names for all of them in our vocabulary. The Dictionary for household water – handling items is a brochure that demonstrates that while the English language might not have more than 50 words for water, it has words for 50+ different man-made objects that we use on a daily basis in order to control water.

 

In this proposal, the dictionary is the first step in an extensive water use investigation that started last year with the Overflow sound installation. By exploring water-related literature, all references point towards a fountain (pool) as a holy grail of water use and representation throughout history. It is a man-made structure that holds water in the middle of the ancient Roman garden, Islamic quadrilateral garden, medieval monastery garden, along the middle axis in an extravagant baroque garden. What started as a utilitarian garden object in ancient Egypt slowly became a symbol of power and a representation of leadership. It is a representation of water found in nature – fountains sprinkle and clamour are reminiscent of a magnificent waterfall in the middle of an untouched forest. The functionality of the fountain changed through the history, it is still functional in the departments of human experience, city ambiance and as a drinking source for wildlife, but we don't use it to wash our clothes in it, water our orchards, or as a source of a drinking fresh water. My proposal uses all of the detected household items that we use to control water and builds a fountain out of them, as an ultimate water-controlling artefact of our time.