BATON ROUGE, La. — In the vibrant, often unpredictable landscape of contemporary pop-surrealist art, few moments capture the imagination quite like the annual gathering at the Baton Rouge Gallery. For its landmark eighteenth iteration, Surreal Salon 18 brought together a dazzling array of uncanny, breathtaking, and thought-provoking works from across the globe. Selected by guest juror Caledonia Curry—better known internationally as the celebrated street artist and installation pioneer Swoon—this year’s exhibition set a high bar for creative audacity.
Emerging from a highly competitive field of contemporary visionaries, multidisciplinary artist River Reishi claimed the coveted Best in Show honor for her mesmerizing installation, Surface Tension.
Following her victory, we sat down with Reishi to discuss the mythic storytelling behind her winning piece, the unexpected community engagement of the Baton Rouge crowd, her profound artistic inspirations, and an ambitious upcoming international residency in Reykjavik, Iceland, set against the backdrop of a total solar eclipse.
Main Facts: The Triumph at Surreal Salon 18
The core of Reishi’s acclaim rests upon Surface Tension, a glowing, deeply atmospheric sculptural installation that explores the profound and eerie threshold where land meets water.
- The Winning Artwork: Surface Tension depicts a female figure emerging from dark water, her hands reaching forward as if breaking through the liquid barrier to step directly into our world.
- Materials and Mechanics: The sculpture is half-submerged within an ephemeral field of loose black sand and raw amber. It features a faint internal glow that becomes visible as viewers approach closely, lending the work an aura of quiet, living surprise.
- The Juror: The exhibition was juried by Caledonia Curry (Swoon), whose monumental public art and participatory installations have long broken traditional institutional barriers.
- The Honor: Out of a gallery filled with haunting, meticulously crafted works, Swoon selected Reishi’s piece for the top honor, transforming an already prestigious exhibition inclusion into a career milestone.
"It was already an honor to be included in a show curated by Swoon," Reishi reflects. "When I arrived to install the piece and saw the other works for the first time, I remember thinking how haunting and memorable every single one was. So hearing the piece announced as Best in Show later that night felt surreal in the truest sense."
Chronology: From Concept to Accidental Canvas
To understand Surface Tension, one must trace its conceptual origins and the physical timeline of its realization—a timeline defined by fragility and impermanence.
The Genesis of the Threshold
Reishi’s fascination with water stems from a lifelong obsession with boundaries. "From land, the surface of water looks smooth and transparent, almost empty. But of course it hides an entire world that is not ours," she explains. "I have always been fascinated by that threshold. The installation tries to hold that exact moment where the two worlds meet."
Working largely with constraints born of early studio limitations—where space was at a premium—Reishi developed a practice heavily reliant on modular elements, light, and loose materials. The black sand surrounding her sculptures is hand-drawn into intricate patterns, meaning the installation exists in a state of suspended animation. Even the smallest vibration can alter it.
Opening Night and the Unforeseen Metaphor
The timeline of Surreal Salon 18 took an unexpected, poetic turn during the opening gala. Long celebrated as an unofficial kickoff to the Mardi Gras season, the event is famous for its vibrant crowd, immersive celebratory atmosphere, and elaborate costumes. Remarkably, some attendees design their attire directly in response to the art on display.
Early in the evening, an attendee accidentally backed into the platform holding Reishi’s installation, causing it to shift. The vibration rattled the platform, scattering the detailed, hand-drawn sand designs.
"Someone accidentally backed into the platform holding my installation, and when the platform shifted the sand vibrated and many of the detailed designs disappeared… But in a strange way the moment also revealed something essential about the work."
Rather than a disaster, the incident became a defining performance. Because observers had assumed the sand was glued down, the sudden shift revealed the true, delicate nature of the medium. Reishi sat beside her piece for hours, patiently re-drawing the patterns into the sand and amber as a fascinated crowd watched.
"For me, that moment captured the spirit of the work," Reishi notes. "The installation only exists in that exact form on that particular night… Everyone there was witnessing something temporary, something that belonged only to that moment in time."
Supporting Data & Artistic Influences: Women, Myth, and Materiality
Reishi’s artistic vocabulary is deeply rooted in sculpture, installation, and ancient mythology, drawing strength from a lineage of creators who refuse to ask for institutional permission.
The Audacity of Space
When discussing her development as a voice in the art world, Reishi speaks candidly about the unique obstacles faced by women artists. "Voice is an interesting concept to me as a woman, because women often face particular obstacles when it comes to the emergence of voice," she says. "It takes a certain measure of audacity to say something and commit it to art. In a way you are asking the world to listen."
This philosophy finds its ultimate expression in her admiration for Swoon, particularly the artist’s legendary 2009 Swimming Cities of Serenissima project at the Venice Biennale. Watching Swoon float a fleet of sculptural rafts into one of the art world’s most formal spaces without waiting for traditional institutional permission left an indelible mark on Reishi. More recently, Swoon’s Sibylant Sisters project—which invents a living mythology complete with custom oracle cards—has validated Reishi’s own dedication to myth and symbolic storytelling.
Ancient Inspirations
A recent visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City proved equally transformative. Struck by the figurative ceramics of various Mexican regions—particularly Mayan ceramics—Reishi encountered a single ceramic face that fundamentally recalibrated her artistic drive.
"There is so much spirit in them, such a sense of presence," she recalls. "I have gone back to see it several times now, and each time I leave feeling more inspired to return to sculpture."
Official Responses and Perspectives: A Conversation with River Reishi
In our extended interview, Reishi shared deeper insights into her creative philosophy, her relationship with alternative exhibition spaces, and the cultural resonance of her materials.
On the Gulf Coast and the Dual Nature of Water:
"Water is often a symbol of life, but it also carries danger and power. Louisiana and the Gulf region know that reality very well. I think some of that tension found its way into the work."
On Alternative Showspaces:
While her installations have appeared in galleries, museums, empty storefronts, and city halls, Reishi admits a profound preference for the natural world. Remembering her time near the sea in Washington State, she describes building temporary altars from flowers, driftwood, and shells with friends as offerings to the tide. "There is something very special about building something together that only exists for that one night."
On Audience Interaction at Surreal Salon:
The interactive element of the evening extended far beyond the accidental sand shift. "At one point someone came up to me wearing a costume inspired by my piece, and getting to watch him model it and explain how the sculpture influenced the design completely made my night. It felt like the work had briefly stepped out of the gallery and into the room!"
Implications: Looking Ahead to Iceland and Beyond
With the Surreal Salon 18 accolade securely under her belt, River Reishi’s trajectory points sharply upward, leading toward an ambitious international residency this coming summer.
The Reykjavik Project
In August, Reishi will embark on a residency with Raf Gallery in Reykjavik, Iceland. The timing aligns with a rare celestial event: a total solar eclipse passing directly over Reykjavik on August 12, followed later in the month by Menningarnótt (Culture Night), the city’s massive annual arts festival.
Collaborating with Raf Gallery—which specializes in contemporary art and Baltic amber jewelry—Reishi plans to install a comprehensive sculpture and sand installation. The work will weave together:
- The indigenous myth of the birth of Baltic amber.
- Astronomical reflections on eclipse mythology.
- The intricate psychological relationship between darkness and light.
True to her ephemeral philosophy, the sand will be sourced directly from the local shoreline. In a powerful gesture of community closure, Reishi will invite local residents at the end of the exhibition to dismantle the installation alongside her, returning the sand to the ocean with personal wishes, prayers, and intentions.
"I love Iceland deeply," Reishi shares. "The black sand I often use in my installations was inspired by the volcanic beach at Reynisfjara, so being able to create work there during such a rare celestial moment feels very meaningful."
Redefining the Ephemeral
River Reishi’s win at Surreal Salon 18 is more than just a gallery victory; it is a validation of art that refuses to be permanently fixed. By anchoring her sculptures in the shifting tides of myth, raw materials, and human interaction, she reminds audiences that the most powerful artistic experiences are often those that exist solely in the present moment—surviving not through preservation, but through memory and transformation.
River Reishi is a multidisciplinary artist whose sculptures and ephemeral sand installations explore myth, grief, and the mysterious threshold between worlds. To explore more of her portfolio, visit riverreishi.com or follow her on Instagram @riverreishi.
