Nazgol Ansarinia “Lakes Drying, Tides Rising” at Raffaella Cortese Gallery, Albisola

The project draws inspiration from several Iranian lakes, particularly Lake Urmia in the Nord East of the country, whose existence is threatened by drought and climate change. These bodies of water, used by the artist as visual references, become the starting point for a broader reflection on the precariousness of water resources.

Water has always been an essential element of Iranian architecture. In gardens and traditional houses, small pools (howz) were used to cool and humidify the air, for washing, or simply to create beauty. In the 1960s, with economic growth, the construction of swimming pools became widespread. However, looking at the city from above today, a paradox emerges: the wealthiest areas are dotted with empty pools, like air bubbles or scars in the urban fabric. Despite the value of space, these structures are not leveled, filled, or repurposed but remain empty as containers of memory, awaiting an uncertain future.

In the series of large sculptures Lakes Drying, Tides Rising (2022), Ansarinia reassembles the water voids of the Jordan neighbourhood in Tehran, previously explored in the Connected Pools series. The result is an irregular, honeycombed lake— an evocative representation of the fragile balance between wetness and dryness, not only of the city’s pools but, more broadly, of the entire country. In recent years, amid droughts and severe power shortages in Iran, water has shifted from evoking nostalgia for a prosperous past to becoming a resource in crisis, with significant economic and social repercussions.

The shapes and colour palettes of the works reflect this tension: colours blend to create fluid, organic surfaces, reminiscent of moving currents. The layering process adopted by the artist recalls the formation and transformation of landscapes over time, shaped by wind and rain. The rust and ochre tones outlining the edges of the sculptures evoke the walls and divisions of pools, suggesting the presence of a carefully sculpted desert settlement. But, as with Lake Urmia, an open question remains: are these bodies of water drying up, or, on the contrary, is water beginning to flow again, bringing with it new hope?

Nazgol Ansarinia’s research is deeply rooted in observing the built environment of her city, the consequences of its uncontrolled development, and the demarcations between public and private space. What is left behind—the scars, traces, and attempts at repair—is just as significant as what is demolished and destroyed.

at Raffaella Cortese Gallery, Albisola
until May 26, 2025