light as a feather/heavy as lead

produced with the assistance of Costa Rican artist Victor Vega Valverde

This performance video illustrates the impossible outcome of the water test used to determine witchcraft. The piece infuses the drowning/floating dichotomy with a sense of resistance and survival beyond political and gendered oppression, and hopes to evoke a sense of urgency in relation to the illogical context of our current ecological crisis. The oral element also locates the piece within its historical roots and contains the work of the Chilean artist Violeta Parra, and the work of British Columbian poet Pat Lowther and her daughter, Beth Lowther. The audio work was produced in both English and Spanish.  

San Jose, Costa Rica
Klaus Steinmetz Gallery
Curated by Klaus Steinmetz
2002

Camera: Naufus Figueroa
& Lucia Madriz