The title of Nedko Bucev’s exhibition and thesis, Everythin$ Is OK, echoes the forcefully validat- ing tone regarding water quality found in the annual reports of numerous U.S. authorities and utilities. After Bucev found an unusually high level of lead in his tap water at his home in New Jersey, his tenacious investigation began. Instead of publishing his findings in a scientific journal, however, he explored artis- tic means to express his concerns and raise awareness among his viewers. In November 2021, visitors to the art fair 14C encountered an unusual installation at the booth hosted by the New Jersey City University Master of Fine Arts Program. A circular tank filled with water contained a live fish, while the glassware was connected to two glass tubes containing two contaminants, white lead and black manganese. The filters between those poisons and the tank, along with controlled air pressure in the system, kept the fish alive. This laboratory-like apparatus drew many visitors into our booth and made them wonder how long the fish would survive. Entitled W Like Water, this work poignantly symbolizes our natural habitats and our socio-economic system, which are both precariously balanced on the verge of collapse. The fish represents us humans on an earth with limited natural resources, the most fundamental of which is water. In his texts, Bucev asserts that “the same amount (345M mi3) [of water on the earth] has been cycling for the last 4B years,” and concludes that “those who sell, trade, and deal with it should remember that water cannot be owned, and we are allowed only to use it temporarily and return it pristinely clean.” I hope Bucev’s artistic investigations and collaborations will continue beyond his graduation and reach as broad an audience as possible. Midori Yoshimoto, Ph.D. Gallery Director/Associate Professor of Art History New Jersey City University
EVERYTHIN$ IS OK
NEDKO BUCEV
Jersey City 2022
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