One Chiliad is inspired by the fact that our cultural legacy is determined by the relationship we have with the land and water of our environment. One’s sense of place is derived from merging personal geography with our ecological landscape. The title of the exhibition references the global conveyor belt which is measured not in length but in time. To complete a full cycle, a parcel of water is estimated to take one chiliad (or 1,000 years) to travel the entire loop. Inspired by and exploring themes of environmental concern, preservation, and wonder, the exhibition is complemented by Toxic Overburden, an exhibition at The Peale about social justice and the environment in Curtis Bay. Together, the works present the viewer with opportunities to re-contextualize their experience of nature and our waterways through wonder, curiosity and action.

The creation of the work in One Chiliad was supported by a Marcella Brenner Grant for faculty development and research to study western landscape photographs at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson Arizona, and an exploratory art and research residency in the Arctic Circle, as well as numerous self-funded and directed dive trips over a period of years. The exhibition is made possible by an Individual Artist Project Award from the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, a pending grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

One Chiliad showcases three photographic series by Jann Rosen-Queralt. Each provides a distinct portal into either marine or arctic worlds, reflecting the far reaches of environmental loss, impact, and potential for change while connecting to the local and global struggles for environmental justice and conservation. The artwork was developed over the course of the past five years, with photographs originating from many dive trips, a residency, and grant supported research. 

The work includes underwater photographs from A Sparrow on the Floor of A Cathedral (ASFC) and Witnessing the Pool of Time (WPT). ASFC is a collection of black-and-white images addressing the wonder and frailty of the underwater world paired with specific location information, and WPT is a collection of dimensional diptychs offering a portal to imagine ones place within the natural world via the contrast between a mirror-like surface and one of velvety depth. The third series, Shifting Baselines, is a grouping of diptychs focused on gradual changes in the environment through presenting the monumental and diminutive within the arctic landscape. The three series are distinct from one another but are unified by their direct connection to the global water cycle and time-based threats from climate change.