In the United States, the per day average water usage is 80-100 gallons per person. We know we need to manage this essential, finite resource differently for a sustainable future.
Drylab 2023 is a science-art project that took place from May 13 until June 10, 2017 with 8 participants enacting a very near speculative future scenario in a remote location in the Mojave Desert. During the project the participants were permitted 4 gallons of water per person per day. Within this context of resource scarcity the participants self-organized how they would govern their limited resources. The project was inspired by the work of Elinor “Lin” Ostrom, who won the Nobel Prize in Economic Science in 2009 for her work on governance of common resources.
PROJECT STATEMENT
Drought has returned to the southwest. Previously safe water sources are contaminated. Municipalities have shifted to private ownership/management. Water is precious; access controlled.
The wars now require mandatory military conscription of women and men age 18-34. Water rights are only afforded to those who register for the draft, are outside of the age range, are permanently disabled or the primary caretaker for young children.
Our group of young, healthy, childless women have banded together out of necessity. Though they are not fugitives, they are in exile.