Three selected frames from the single-channel video artwork Breath of Water (Year) by Le Xi, showing water reflections, stone surfaces, and camera movement tied to bodily breath.

Breath of Water

Selected Frames from Breath of Water

Breath of Water is a single-channel video artwork filmed beside a water basin created by Isamu Noguchi. Originating from the subtle, continuous shifts among sunlight, water, and stones, the work transforms a simple act of filming into an observation of stasis and motion.

Using a smartphone as an extension of the physical body, the artist attempts to hold the camera completely still. As the body strives to remain motionless, the reflection of the sun dancing across the water and the flicker of light remain in constant flux. The lens cannot achieve absolute stasis; the subtle rise and fall of the artist's breath inevitably seeps into the frame, weaving with the ripples to create a continuous rhythm suspended between stability and slight tremors.

The artwork makes no attempt to capture a fixed, singular moment, lingering instead within transformation itself. Rigid river stones lie still beneath the surface, while the reflection of the sun disperses and reunites with the moving waves. Through subtle, almost imperceptible camera vibrations, stasis and motion cease to be opposing forces, becoming a unified, unfolding process of existence.

Watch the complete work

Technical Information

Artist: Le Xi
Title:‍ ‍Breath of Water
Year: 2025
Medium: Single-channel HD video, color, silent
Duration: 1:12 min (loop)
Dimensions: Variable

Edition of 3 + 1 AP