From 8 – 26 July at the Japan Foundation Gallery, Sabina Maselli creates an immersive film and video installation, AMA, based on the Ama pearl divers.

Ama, in Japanese, literally means ‘sea woman’. The tradition dates back 2000 years where divers descend to depths of over 30m (100ft) on a single breath in search of pearls, abalone and other sea treasures, without the use of assisted diving equipment.

“Ama divers work in harmony with the surrounding nature. They take only what they can harvest in relation to how long they can stay submerged. It is a fair trade."

In Ama, Maselli creates a hypnotic, trance-like experience where time and space are perceived to be liquefied. The divers descend under water in search of treasure but in Maselli’s interpretation, also in search of their memories and dreams. Once underwater, the holding of one’s breath becomes a suspension in time creating a meditative state of being. No treasure is found; the absence representing the degrading of the ocean caused by human impact on the environment.

Maselli explains, “thanks to technological progress and pollution, their catch is reduced with each dive, finally reduced to dead coral, bits of junk and the bycatch from large trawlers that are thrown back in the sea”.

Maselli will be speaking more about her exhibition at PechaKucha night on 8 July at Superdeluxe@Artspace.

About the Artists:

Sabina Maselli is a visual artist working predominantly with film, video and photography.

She has participated as director, editor, performer and photographer in numerous projects, including documentary film, music video, and performance art. She has exhibited a number of video installations in Australia and collaborated in live performances with musicians.

Her work often explores ancient culture and mythologies, the natural world and the connections between body, memory and place.