Fountain 1917 Fontaine 1917 Fontane 1917

French conceptual artist Saâdane Afif has gathered hundreds of postcards picturing fountains, thereby constructing an almost daily history of the year 1917. With the development in the early 20th century of mechanical pumps and indoor plumbing, even the most provincial European town could boast a fountain that was no longer functional but purely decorative. Afif connects these advancements to parallel progress in photography and its reproduction, as well as the expansion of the postal service. Altogether, the book with its fascinating mementos of correspondence becomes a keen reflection on the initial stages of globalisation as we know it today. With a text by Tacita Dean.