Water Stories: the Podcast, produced by BioBAT Art Space and hosted by Eve Barro, offers an immersive exploration into the intricate relationship between humans and water. Each episode features engaging conversations with experts, artists, and academics who delve into aquatic themes from ecological, cultural, and scientific perspectives. The podcast accompanies BioBAT Art Space's ongoing Brooklyn exhibition, amplifying the themes explored by the artists featured there. Through stories about underwater exploration, marine life, and human impact on aquatic ecosystems, listeners gain a deeper appreciation of water's vital role in our world. Available online and in our listening room in Brooklyn until May 2025.
The marine soundscape at the beginning and end of this episode comes from the body of water at the UK/France border; acknowledging that, as of the time of recording, over 400 people have tragically lost their lives since 1999 due to the hostile immigration policies that make these waters deadly for those seeking safety.
In episode one of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro talks with Astrida Neimanis, a feminist environmental scholar. Neimanis discusses her research on the interconnections between human bodies and water, advocating for a feminist environmental ethic that recognizes these links. Through discussions on philosophy, climate, and justice, she explores how understanding ourselves as bodies of water can influence ethical and political approaches to environmental and social issues.
In episode two of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro speaks with artist Naoe Suzuki about her project FLOW, which engages communities through shared stories of water, fostering kinship and reciprocity. Suzuki's art explores personal and collective water relationships, revealing the environmental and cultural impacts on water. The discussion illuminates how collective storytelling and personal narratives can transform our understanding and stewardship of water.
In episode three of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro talks with Maria Montero Sierra to discuss her project Convivial Tables, which merges culinary arts with environmental awareness in Venice's unique ecosystem. The project focuses on how our food choices impact marine life, fostering community engagement through shared meals that highlight sustainable practices and the cultural significance of food. This initiative aims to deepen the understanding of our ecological relationships through the act of communal dining.
In episode four of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro interviews Rasa Weber, an experimental designer exploring interspecies underwater architecture. Weber's PhD project investigates building habitats in marine environments, blending design with ecology to create artificial reefs that support marine life. She discusses fieldwork from Corsica to Colombia, focusing on collaborative, ecologically sensitive designs that enhance symbiotic relationships between species, highlighting innovative approaches to conservation in the face of environmental challenges.
In episode five of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro interviews Anna MacLeod, an artist who explores water's role in global cultures through her project Water Conversations. Anna discusses water infrastructure's colonial impacts and engages with communities to highlight water issues and sustainability. Her work combines art, local knowledge, and environmental activism, emphasizing the need for community involvement in addressing water sustainability and the legacy of colonial infrastructure.
In episode six of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro talks with Félix Blume, a sound artist who uses bamboo flutes to capture and amplify the sounds of the sea. His installation, Rumors from the Sea, collaborates with local communities and natural elements, transforming wave motions into sound. This project, developed for the Thailand Biennale, integrates environmental consciousness and local craftsmanship, engaging children in creating a mythology around the installation's sounds.
In episode seven of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro talks with David McFarlane, who explores the acoustic ecology of the Great Lakes through his PhD at Toronto Metropolitan University. McFarlane's research involves translating the ecological dynamics of these large bodies of water into sound, using technology to deepen our connection and understanding. His innovative work highlights the importance of viewing the lakes as active participants in ecological and cultural narratives, advocating for their protection and appreciation.
In episode eight of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro talks with Robertina Šebjanič about her integration of art and marine science to examine human impacts on aquatic environments. Inspired by a lifelong fascination with marine life, Šebjanič merges scientific data with artistic expression to explore our interactions with marine ecosystems. Her work invites a deeper engagement with water bodies, emphasizing mutual impacts and advocating for a broader understanding of more-than-human aquatic life in the Aquatocene.
In episode nine of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro and Agnes Questionmark discuss her artistic exploration of identity and transformation through deep connections with water. She emphasizes hybridity and the fluid boundaries between species, reflecting on her underwater performances that merge human experiences with aquatic life. Agnes Questionmark advocates for recognizing and valuing more-than-human perspectives, particularly focusing on the political and social dimensions of our interactions with water and its inhabitants, like whales. Her work challenges traditional views and encourages a broader, more inclusive understanding of life's interconnectedness.
In episode ten of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro and Clare Brant discuss her upcoming book Underwater Lives, Humans, Species, Oceans, which integrates 18th-century literature with marine science. She explores the evolution of human perceptions of the sea through themes like wonder, care, and environmental change. Clare's work, enriched by her personal connection to the ocean, examines historical and aesthetic narratives to deepen our understanding of underwater environments.
In episode eleven of Water Stories: the Podcast host Eve Barro speaks with artist Kasia Molga about her childhood connected to the ocean and its influence on her art. Kasia discusses her project How to Make an Ocean, where she uses her tears to create mini marine ecosystems designed to host algae, highlighting how personal experiences and emotions can deepen our care for marine environments.
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