Thirst

Thirst (2022), a project in collaboration with Commissioner—a Miami art collector community focused on social practice—juxtaposes the thirst for freedom, which drove many immigrants across dangerous waters to Miami, with Americans’ thirst for profits that has created high-priced luxury brands of bottled water. Comprised of porous coral stone tiles with inlaid porcelain water bottles, Valdés makes the tension between consumer culture, sustainability, and climate change explicit. The work positions water scarcity and household water insecurity in stark contrast to the commodification of water and the indelible impact of plastic on the future of life on Earth.