Alas, Porridge Fish!

A gargoyle stumbles slowly through the gallery with one foot submerged in a saucepan of thick oat porridge and another submerged in a bowl of pure Himalayan mineral water, trying and failing not to spill the contents. They reveal that recently their right foot had transformed into a goldfish and their left foot had transformed into a koi carp. To keep the fish alive, they must be kept submerged. The goldfish had expressed strict preference for the “clearer reality” of Himalayan spring water and the koi carp had expressed strict preference for the “thicker reality” of porridge.

Declining fresh and saltwater fish species are lamented. Every effort is made to keep the fish-feet happy – applying luxury lipstick to them, taking them to the movies, singing them lullabies. Regardless the fish-feet come to argue over their strong respective beliefs that the porridge reality or the spring water reality are superior to the other, eventually waging war on each other. In response, the gargoyle begins to train to run a marathon to raise awareness of ongoing fish conflicts worldwide.

Performance created upon invitation to present new work at Runt of the Litter, London, UK, October 2021.

Photos: Becky O’Brien.