Installation and performance, various locations between Montreal and Ottawa, Canada, 2006-present.
A freshwater mermaid offers a taste of her treasured collection of often-forgotten rivers and lakes from various regions of Quebec. Some water samples are out of stock, some taste like blueberry roots and rocks — a rare experience as the commodification of water accelerates and sources of clean water become harder to find. These performances address water at first from an emotional and gustatory place, and then allow the audience to form their own response to the broader social and political issues found within. The water creature coaxes us to drink what seem to be raw waters from nearby sources, challenging us to acknowledge and adapt to the waters we live with.