The Brooklyn Rail

The Amazon, the largest river on the planet, forms from the confluence of two rivers: the Rio Solimões and the Rio Negro. The two rivers are vastly different in sediment; thus, when they converge, their color compositions—white and black, respectively—flow in parallel without immediately mixing for over six kilometers. This stunning natural phenomenon is known as the “Meeting of Waters.” Their meeting undulates against the force of the Amazon River, coming together in points, swirling around one another, or staying strictly parallel, until eventually, they mix. In her latest installation, Æqualia, co-commissioned by Canal Projects and the 14th Gwangju Biennale, Lithuanian-born artist Emilija Škarnulytė swims through, with, and in between this crucial concourse. Fitted in a mermaid suit from head to tail, Škarnulytė swims through the two rivers and makes her way to their mixing point, filmed by a drone all the way.

The result is created by many halves that make a multifaceted whole: Škarnulytė is a half-human, half-fish that swims through a half-white and half-black river, that seems half-mythological but is in fact, fully a real, natural phenomenon. Æqualia embodies these metaphoric, mythologic, scientific, and environmental boundaries between the two rivers, between reality and folklore.

Škarnulytė as a mermaid, siren, or water nymph named Æqualia serves as a symbol of the interconnectedness of all things, blurring the lines between the known and the mysterious. Of course, the known here refers to the scientific explanation for this phenomenon. NASA explains that the tan color of the Rio Solimões comes from sediment erosion in the Andres Mountains, while the Rio Negro's dark, black hue is due to organic matter from the forest floor, where rock erosion is minimal. But from these truths come even more unknowns: how do these contrasting elements interact to create such a distinct boundary? What unseen forces govern this convergence? As Æqualia, Škarnulytė becomes both the tangible and the ethereal, navigating these mysteries with grace and reminding us that even within the realm of scientific explanation, endless wonders are waiting to be explored. As she glides between the black and white currents, Æqualia beckons us to delve deeper into the intricate dance of nature’s elements and to embrace the beauty of the unknown.

Though Škarnulytė initially swims alone—only accompanied by a drone operator and a boat pilot—she is greeted throughout her journey by the famously friendly pink Amazon River dolphins, known as the botos. The botos are known for their shy but curious demeanor, often playing with local children. Here, their graceful movements and playful antics create a sense of wonder as if the boundaries between reality and fantasy have blurred even further. The encounter between the mermaid and the flamingo-pink botos feels like a scene lifted from a magical storybook.

But visitors are snapped back to reality when reading the accompanying text, which explains that within a year of filming Æqualia in October 2023, the river’s meeting point, known as the Encontro das Águas, ran dry due to a record-breaking drought, which led to a mass dying-off of the botos. The shoreline fell roughly four inches per day in the month of October, and the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment concluded that climate change and the wildfires of late were responsible for the dry spell. Unknowingly, Æqualia also speaks to yet another natural and scientific phenomenon but of another kind, one that is far more ominous and urgent than the ethereal beauty she embodies. With this new information, Æqualia’s story takes on a new layer of meaning, to the fragile balance of our planet’s ecosystems. In this context, Škarnulytė’s journey becomes a poignant reflection of the urgent need for environmental action, and her encounter with the botos, once a symbol of magic, now serves as a haunting reminder of the very real threats facing our natural world.