(re)member of water
La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario (GNO), Sudbury, Ontario
Atikameksheng Anishnawbek territory
2015
In Sudbury, we experienced the Junction creek zig-zagging across the city and flowing beneath the gallery. Here, textiles and video evoked the waterway made invisible by urban planning.
A video was made of our exploration of Junction creek - walking in the water, watching the environment, the walls that were constructed to contain and control the creek, the foreboding depth and darkness of the concrete culvert entrance.
Multiple soundscapes of the creek’s voice were played through a series of headphone hung by branches on the gallery wall.
A book that compiled our research of the Junction creek watershed - every page hand printed and drawn - was placed on a handmade cherry and maple desk.
Based in our interest in painting, yet desire to leave acrylic paints behind (not only energy-intensive to produce, water-based acrylics contaminate watersheds with synthetic biocides, emulsifiers and pigments), we collected watershed plants to experience the local colour palette. At night, a textile dyed with black walnut pigment collected over an urban buried waterway, was illuminated by solar energy gathered in house.
