Fish Out of Water
We invite you to Fish Out of Water, a photography and moving image exhibition reflecting on displacement, exile and what it means to survive when connections to land, history and belonging are broken.
Using the image of a fish out of water as a guiding metaphor, the exhibition traces what remains when land is damaged, ecosystems are stripped and communities are forced to move. The works ask how people continue to live, remember and resist in the aftermath of extraction, war and so-called development.
Bringing together artists from Aotearoa New Zealand, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Fish Out of Water connects distant geographies through shared histories of dispossession and resilience.
Moving between personal memory and collective experience, the works explore exile as both physical displacement and a rupture of ancestral, spiritual and ecological ties.
Curated by Azura Silberschmidt & Valeria Leiva, the exhibition unfolds over a week of openings, conversations and guided encounters, inviting visitors to spend time with the works and reflect together on what has been erased and what endures.
Exhibition dates
16-20 February 2026
CIVIC
Academy of Art and Design
Freilager-Platz 1, Basel, Switzerland
PROGRAM:
*All events start at 5:00 PM*
Monday, 16 February
→ Opening Gathering
Come as you are. Stay as long as you can.
Tuesday, 17 February
→ Guided Tour
A slow walk through the works, with space for questions and shared reflections.
Wednesday, 18 February
→ Artist Talk
In conversation with ELYLA about their work “ESCUCHANDO EL SUSURRO ANCESTRAL” (2023).
Thursday, 19 February
→ Guided Tour
Another chance to encounter the exhibition through collective listening.
Friday, 20 February
→ Artist Talk
Closing the week in dialogue with LUCIA IXCHÍU and her work “UQ’AXIK B’E” (2024).
ARTISTS:
Natalie Robertson (NZ)
Alex Monteith (NZ)
Maree Sheehan (NZ)
Elyla (NI)
Alfarera Colibrí (GT)
Antonio Rodríguez (GT)
Lucía Ixchíu (GT)
Curated by Azura Silberschmidt & Valeria Leiva.
Made possible with the support of
