Troubled Waters

2023 | In Troubled Waters, Namibia’s recent Fishrot scandal is the departure point for an exploration of global corruption. A complicated bribery scheme involving the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia, government officials, and corporate fishing giant Samherji in Iceland, Fishrot shows how corruption steals livelihoods, damages economies, ruins lives, and erodes people’s faith in their leaders. Corruption is especially harmful in nations with rich natural resources but high rates of income inequality like Namibia, but it affects communities around the world.

With every major scandal like Fishrot that rises to the attention of the international media, hundreds more little acts of corruption happen every day. These smaller crimes pave the way for much larger ones, and they shift our focus from where it is needed most: on serious global challenges that can only be resolved if we all work together. The growing climate crisis is a good example. While government officials steal from their own citizens, soaring ocean and air temperatures are triggering a cascade of alarming events that threaten food supplies, infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health.

Troubled Waters encourages viewers to consider how acts of corruption—large and small—may affect our lives and what we, as a global community, can do to stop them.

Ruth Stanford and Namibian photographer Vilho Nuumbala were introduced by gallery director Frieda Lühl, who saw common thread in their work. Both artists share an interest in social justice and bettering the lives of ordinary citizens. Together, Stanford and Nuumbala built Troubled Waters via long-distance collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic.