Peter Greenaway – Flying over water

In the spring of 2000, Malmö Konsthall presented Flying Over Water — a large-scale and sensory project by the British artist and film director Peter Greenaway. The exhibition was part of Kulturbro 2000 and coincided with the art hall´s 25th anniversary.

In Flying Over Water, Greenaway approached the myth of Icarus — history’s first aviation disaster—with both seriousness and playfulness. The exhibition was a continuation of his earlier work at the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona, where he began exploring this ancient tale of dreams, hubris, and downfall. Here, Greenaway examined every aspect of Icarus’s flight: from which birds might have supplied the feathers, to the quality of the wax that held the wings together, to whether a sprinter or a marathon runner would be better suited to achieve flight — and to the fateful moment when Icarus plunges into the sea.

Peter Greenaway, who trained as a painter and art historian at Walthamstow College of Art in London, made the transition from visual art to film in the 1960s. Throughout his artistic career, he has continued to pose fundamental questions about the nature of the image and the art of seeing.

The exhibition transformed both the interior and exterior spaces of Malmö Konsthall in a profound way. Through visual and physical installations, all of the visitors’ senses were engaged in a total experience that bore Greenaway’s distinctive signature.