Exhibition opening Saturday November 8 at 1-4 PM
(Please see our website for opening hours)

The Amharic phrase ዐይነ-ውሃ (ayne wuha) has the general meaning of likeness, spirit, or essence, but it can also refer more specifically to a source of water. The word «ayne» translates as «the eye of», and «wuha» means «water».

ዐይነ-ውሃ / Vannøye revolves around Robel Temesgen’s encounter with the River Glomma. Almost a year has passed since he deposited several handmade parchment books in the river, right below the Guttormsgaard Archive. Five months later he returned to retrieve the books. His actions were inspired by the story of how Abunea Zar’a Brook once entrusted his prayerbooks to the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. Years later he discovered that the river had preserved his books in perfect condition.

The exhibition coincides with Eye of a Water – ዐይነ-ውሃ at Nitja center for contemporary art in Lillestrøm.