Swiss-Lebanese artist Khalil Berro has unveiled a new work inspired by Lake Boehmer, a striking turquoise body of water in Pecos County, Texas, that has flowed for decades from an abandoned oil well. The piece, titled Lake Boehmer (37100006), is an aquarium sculpture that precisely replicates the lake’s chemical composition. It is currently on display in Zurich.
Created in collaboration with a team of scientists, the installation features a custom-built aquarium supported by a stainless steel and spruce substructure, filled with Permian Basin sand, a desert salt-crusted bush, and a mixture of water chemicals that mirror the lake’s composition. The number 37100006 in the title refers to the API of the well responsible for the lake, as recorded in the Texas Railroad Commission database.
Lake Boehmer, a 60-acre expanse in the arid landscape of the Permian Basin, presents an eerie contrast between its vibrant appearance and inhospitable nature. Despite its oasis-like image, the lake is devoid of visible life, with methane bubbles occasionally breaking the surface and dead birds lining the shore.
Berro’s work explores this paradox, examining how aquariums serve as controlled representations of nature while drawing attention to the environmental and industrial forces shaping landscapes like the Permian Basin. The artist describes the lake as existing in an “ambivalent state,” neither good nor bad, but reflective of humanity’s complex relationship with its habitat.
More information about the project can be found at www.khalilberro.com.
Image Source: https://khalilberro.com/lake-boehmer
