DANIEL HAN CHALLENGES THE STATIC IMAGE IN "IN MEMORY OF WATER" AT INTERVAL GALLERY
During the high-profile week of Frieze Los Angeles, Interval Gallery will debut In Memory of Water, a significant solo presentation by Los Angeles–born artist Daniel Han. Running from February 26 through March 21, 2026, the exhibition represents a deep dive into the intersection of photographic process, material behavior, and the fluid nature of human perception. Rather than treating water as a mere subject for representation, Han utilizes it as a conceptual system—a lens through which memory, duration, and time are carried and eventually transformed.
Lake Monet by Daniel Han
Han’s practice is distinguished by its refusal to treat photography as a fixed or static medium. Instead, his work investigates how an image evolves when translated across diverse surfaces and environmental conditions. By utilizing tactile substrates such as velvet and metal, Han moves the viewer away from the role of a detached observer and into an embodied relationship with the work. These materials introduce elements of reflection and absorption that make the imagery feel immersive and unstable, as if the moment being viewed is still in motion.
The exhibition is a curated response to the rapid pace of contemporary art consumption. Mark Hampton, the founder of Interval Gallery, describes the presentation as an experience designed to "resist speed." According to Hampton, the works demand a certain level of stillness, allowing meaning to surface over time rather than through immediate interpretation. This philosophy is evident in pieces like Venetian Mirror, where the imagery feels architectural yet elusive—resembling a city glimpsed through the distortion of water. Similarly, the Superstring Theory diptych holds a specific physical tension; the two panels do not offer a simple resolution to one another, instead making the viewer acutely aware of their own movement and position in front of the work.
Only You by Daniel Han
Ultimately, In Memory of Water proposes a new understanding of memory—not as a static record stored away, but as a cumulative resonance and a lingering tendency. By focusing on the sensory qualities of his materials, Han creates a space where attention and presence become the central themes. Located at 2252 Sunset Blvd, the exhibition invites the public to engage with a slower, more intentional mode of looking, where the affective weight of each piece reveals itself through a lived encounter.
Sands of Time by Daniel Han
Mark Hampton, the founder of Interval Gallery, with his wife actress Christina Ricci.
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