Klaus Rinke
Taking Possession of the Mediterranean for the Arts
Spain, 1969
100 x 140 cm
Courtesy of the Artist

THE BLANK CONTEMPORARY ART
99 WORDS WITH KLAUS RINKE

“I found that water was a sculptural material. In handling water, I concluded that filling up a sculpture with water takes time. A ton, how long to fill it up? How long to empty?” Rinke uses the element of water as a universal symbol of femininity and fertility, purification and flux, often focusing on the evaporation of water to depict its impermanence. In his art, he emphasizes water as an essential element focusing on its importance to life and human well-being. His work with water also serves to highlight his environmental concerns emphasizing the fragility, scarcity and interconnection of our global water sources.