Standing Underwater In This Fake Pool
Alessandro Ilarda
Jun 14, 2014
Few things are better than jumping into a pool to escape the summer. And even fewer than standing under it. The ‘fake’ swimming pool as it’s called, was initially conceived of 12 years ago by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich. Erlich has long been known for his illusionary installations, and has found a place in many museums around the world.
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History Of The Faux Pool
At the the 49th Venice Biennale in Argentina in 2001, the fake pool was features as an installation, and then in 2004, it was granted a permanent home at the 21st Century Art Museum in Kanazawa, Japan.
At the MoMA’s PS1 Contemporary Art Center in 2008, a fake pool was set up for a two year installation. The pool was installed permanently at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia in December 2010.
Dimensions And Fetaures
When the pool was constructed as a long-term exhibit at the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Elrich made a full-sized pool with dimensions 20 x 9 7/8 x 10 feet (600 x 280 x 300 cm). A surrounding deck made of wood was installed as well as underwater pool lights and ladder.
Illusions
If you approach the surreal pool from the ground floor, you would witness fully-clothed people standing underwater and be baffled at the sight. Live and engaged in conversation, these people were right at the bottom of a very realistic swimming pool.
From Underneath
The trick of the tale though, lies underneath. When you look from below, you’ll see that the pool is actually empty. The illusion of the water-filled space is achieved by just placing a large piece of transparent laminated glass suspended over the pool atop which lies some actual water. To add to the illusion, the interior of the walls of the pool have been painted aqua, giving it that feeling of depth.
