10th September - 15th Ocotber:
Floodwall, a site-specific art installation from New Orleans composed of 380 drawers that artist Jana Napoli rescued from the debris of Hurricane Katrina, will be presented in Berlin from September 10th to October 15th. Installed on the 1920s “Kurier” ship moored at several locations on the Spree, the exhibition will visit different neighbourhoods across the city. Floodwall is sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, New Orleans artist Jana Napoli and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, presenting the Berlin public with an above- & below-deck installation murmuring with the voices and stories from New Orleans.
Five years after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, the city is still undergoing a painful rebuilding process. The physical scars of a disaster that cost 1836 lives, caused $90 billion damage, and displaced 1.3 million people are slowly healing; the impact on society, families and livelihoods runs much deeper. Ms. Napoli painstakingly recorded the owner and location of each of the 380 drawers comprising the installation, bringing the stories of everyday citizens affected by the disaster into the exhibition space. The artefacts explore themes of displacement and return, and underscore the role of art and culture in the recovery process.