For decades, Austin’s Seaholm Intake Facility was used to pump water for the downtown power plant. But this weekend, the gray mid-century concrete structure will transform into a canvas of color.
Local artists’ videos and visual work will be projected onto the facility for the art show WaterWork, produced by cultural nonprofit Design Austin. Founding board member Emily Eisenhart came up with the idea while on a Lady Bird Lake architectural boat tour three years ago.
“I was admiring the freshly cleaned facility, and in the glorious springtime sun, it was a beacon that was waiting for art,” Eisenhart said. “I knew that because it’s a historic piece of infrastructure, we couldn’t do anything permanent, so I floated this idea of a temporary art show with projection mapping of artwork and videos on top of it.”
Design Austin partnered with the Trail Conservancy, which maintains the 10-mile Ann and Roy Butler Trail around the lake. Conservancy CEO Julie Fisher said the show spreads awareness of what the building stands for and the kind of art opportunities the city offers.
Eisenhart said there was an open call for artists to submit 2-minute videos for this year’s theme of transformation. Out of the applicants from Texas and beyond, 22 artists were chosen for the show, including Austin-based Afro-Latino artist Chris “Tobar” Rodriguez, internationally exhibited visual artist Beili Liu, and a four-artist collective called Essentials Creative.
“This year we have quite a few pieces with animators,” Eisenhart said. “They are really focusing on the infrastructure and architectural elements of the building and highlighting the windows and edges of the space.”
The audience is encouraged to watch from the lake on paddleboards and kayaks. There are also viewing spots on the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge and at Auditorium Shores. Fisher said the show is special because it is the perfect intersection of Austin’s arts scene and green spaces.
“There are people who are watching on the water and on the land,” Fisher said. “To see all of the boats from the water and the art reflecting on the water, it really tells that story of transformation.”
WaterWork is a free show starting at 8:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.