Leandro Erlich Marks 10 Years of Museum Voorlinden's Swimming Pool with Underwater Selfie
To mark a decade since his installation Swimming Pool (2016) was unveiled at the Museum Voorlinden in Wassenaar, close to The Hague, Leandro Erlich snapped an underwater selfie. This idea originated back in 1999 when he was a fellow at the Glassell School of Art in Houston, Texas, and he first presented it at the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001 for Argentina. The version at Voorlinden features a transparent glass panel with a shallow layer of water, letting guests walk underneath without getting wet while appearing submerged to those above. This clever illusion has sparked a trend for visitors to take underwater selfies. With his selfie, Erlich celebrates ten years of the installation and its playful engagement with reality.
Key facts
- Leandro Erlich created Swimming Pool (2016) for Museum Voorlinden in Wassenaar, near The Hague.
- The installation celebrates its 10th anniversary at the museum.
- Erlich took an underwater selfie inside the artwork to mark the milestone.
- The original concept was created in 1999 during a fellowship at the Glassell School of Art in Houston, Texas.
- Swimming Pool was exhibited at the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001, where Erlich represented Argentina.
- The work features a transparent glass panel supporting a shallow layer of water, allowing visitors to walk beneath the surface without getting wet.
- The piece is known for the underwater selfies taken by visitors, blurring the line between what is seen and what is real.
- Erlich's practice uses optical illusions to transform ordinary architectural spaces into unexpected situations.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Museum Voorlinden
- Glassell School of Art
- Venice Biennale
Locations
- Wassenaar
- Netherlands
- The Hague
- Houston
- Texas
- United States
- Venice
- Italy
- Argentina