Roman Signer’s works often appear in public space, both as a result of the artist’s engagement with rivers and streams, bridges and buildings but also in the form of public actions. During the first day of the exhibition, Roman Signer performs a performance when he activates the work Wasserinstallation (Water installation). The activation lasts about five minutes and is followed by a guided tour (in Swedish).

Water is a leitmotiv in Roman Signer’s life and work. It appears in a great many guises: as a rhythmic element, a structuring principle or an all-destroying force. Signer himself used to embark on strenuous kayak trips in isolated mountainous areas, until, one day, one of his friends failed to return from such a trip. The kayak has been a recurring element in his work ever since. Wasserinstallation creates a vacuum where the beginning and end of an imaginary journey converge. In this domain of silence, meanings flow into one another effortlessly, without ever taking definite shape.

The eight-armed water basin entitled Wasserinstallation was designed by the artist in 1999. As a one-off event on June 30, 1999, Signer took a seat in the kayak and navigated the eight channels. At Malmö Konsthall, he activates the work again. The activation is followed by a guided tour of the exhibition lasting approximately 45 minutes.