The Kreeger Museum and Hamiltonian Artists announced Wednesday they will present “Water in the Gas,” an exhibition featuring works by 2022-2024 Hamiltonian alumni Misha Ilin, Madhya J. Leghari, Edgar Reyes and Isabella Whitfield.
The exhibition’s title comes from Jean Dubuffet’s 1961 painting “Water In The Gas” (“L’eau dans le gaz”), part of The Kreeger Museum’s permanent collection. The French phrase reportedly originated in the early 20th century when households used coal gas for electricity.
High concentrations of water vapor created obstructions in pipes, building pressure and causing small explosions. The expression describes rising tension or a brewing argument. Similarly, this exhibition examines how socio-political pressures create generational impacts.
“Water in the Gas” places contemporary artists against the backdrop of what many consider an unprecedented moment in U.S. history, creating dialogue with artists whose careers were shaped by major 20th-century power struggles.
Works from The Kreeger Museum’s permanent collection, created between 1934-1965, explore themes of citizenship, censorship, industry, labor and sovereignty. These include Josef Albers’ geometric abstractions, Max Beckmann’s depictions of children playing, and pieces by Fernand Léger, Joan Mitchell, David Park and David Smith.
Responding to current events and America’s heated socio-political climate, the Hamiltonian alumni examine potential legacies for Generations Z and Alpha — from border fences and radioactive rays to class disparity, four-leaf clovers, indigenous relics and obstetric illustrations etched in salt stone.
Their contributions span sculpture, photography, textiles and installation art. Anisa Olufemi, director of programs and curator at Hamiltonian Artists, organized the exhibition for The Collaborative, a Kreeger Museum program developed in 2021 to support Washington-area artists.