The title Acqua Alta originated from a conversation between Rebeca Plana and Álvaro Alcázar, inspired by the work of Alex Katz and his exhibition at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice. This connection to Venice led the artist to reference the phenomenon of Acqua Alta, the rising water levels in the city, which not only threaten its heritage but also affect the daily lives of its inhabitants. This phenomenon reflects global environmental issues, something Plana experienced firsthand with the flooding that affected her studio in Albalat de la Ribera, an area particularly prone to floods.
Water has been a central element in Plana’s work from the outset, exploring its symbolism and relationship to the environment. Her connection to this element is also geographical, as her studio is located next to the Júcar River, whose name means “the devastator.” Throughout her career, she has addressed this theme in projects such as La Fuerza de la Naturaleza and Riu.
Beyond the environmental aspect, Acqua Alta carries a conceptual meaning based on the idea of immersion and emergence. Plana invites us to reflect on what disappears and what can still be recovered. Additionally, she draws inspiration from the myth of the Lethe River in Plato’s philosophy, where souls drink from its waters before being reincarnated and forgetting their past. From this perspective, water symbolizes a process of transformation: immersion represents a dissolution of the present, while emerging symbolizes rebirth.
This project not only expresses the artist’s fascination with water, but also serves as a metaphor for the relationship between nature and memory, highlighting the fragility of the environment and the possibility of regeneration.