andy wagener

“Since I can remember, I’ve always been interested in the history of things. That’s not to say I aced all my history classes. But I was definitely the kid who would (sometimes to the point of annoyance) ask “why?” multiple times in succession. Over time, the question of “why?” was joined by the more exciting question of “why not?”.  I asked myself this question a lot when it came to creating things. “Why not make a drawing on this piece of wood or a sculpture out of these discarded plastic lids?” When I became interested in art at an early age, and then activism after that, I began looking for opportunities to create things that prompted others to ask questions. I wanted to start or add to a bigger conversation. So, when I had the opportunity to create work in Cadiz, Spain, this questioning kid went to work. I learned everything I could about the area. Its geography, people, politics and history. As one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe (dating back 3100 years), there was a lot to draw from. Ultimately, I decided to focus on the fishermen there, whose families had been fishing the surrounding waters for generations. In conversations, they told me how things like the transition to the euro, increasing governmental regulations and dwindling fish populations made it increasingly difficult to survive at their trade. As I dug deeper into the decreasing fish populations, I came across the phenomenon of ‘ghost fishing’ – where lost or abandoned fishing gear continues to ensnare fish or marine organisms. The deeper I dug, the more I knew I wanted this to be an important aspect of my work. Combining this potentially deadly gear with these deeply personal interviews, CLOUDNET attempts to highlight the issues faced by both these groups and perhaps leaves participants with some questions of their own..” Andy Wagener