Canary Resuscitator

2022 - ongoing

From c. 1896 through the early 20th century, coal miners brought canaries underground with them to warn them of carbon monoxide leaks. In the event that the canary collapsed, miners would place their canaries in these airtight, oxygen-equipped boxes in the hopes of reviving them. In this reproduction, a tft monitor (tiny tv screen) sits in place of the canary, displaying the words of contributors experiencing various metaphoric and literal breathing challenges, including long-haul covid, asthma, and cystic fibrosis - who are our contemporary ‘canaries in the coal mine,’ and what are they warning us about?

This project is ongoing - I am collaborating with initial contributors to inform what this piece can and should be. I plan to build a dedicated website with an audio and text archive. The piece will be shown with a QR code and an invitation for people experiencing the work in person or digitally to submit their own anonymous testimonies for inclusion in the project - creating an ever-evolving testament to the injustices and daily struggles of fighting for air in a corrupted environment. Collaboratively, we are also considering extending the work with haptic sound, publicly accessible guerilla installations, and collaborations with activist organizations doing related work.

Collaborators: Miliaku Nwabueze, Sofia Adams, & Dominic Quagliozzi

10.5 x 7.5 x 12”

steel, glass, oxygen tank, 3D printed resin, wood, hardware, tft display, raspberry pi, collaborators’ words