Sicko

I worked on the installation, entitled ‘Sicko’, predominantly in the later part of 2021. The piece was staged amidst an abandoned construction site in the heart of London. ‘Sicko’, is a site-specific durational installation, which incorporates body, material, and surrounding. This piece directly engages with personal experiences of health, chronic illness and taboo.

This exploration allowed for a contemplative solo process to form. Starting with large scale paintings which eventually developed into the first half of the durational piece. ‘Sicko’ allows me to engage with curatorial practice within public pace, in the personal and intimate manner which this section of ideas requires. As it deals closely with my experiences of hospitalisation, it felt right to be performing and creating alone.

Hands tearing clay from a bag atop a blue tarpaulin sheet

I have provided the tactile aspects of creating ‘Sicko’, from moulding clay with icy hands, to fashioning garments out of soft storage containers, distorting and upholding twisted limbs. Below are the scribbled designs and fragments of my creative process.

Rubble and rusted rebar
A series of annotated images within a notebook depicting plans and materials used in the performance.
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‘Sicko’, being situated within public space, allows me to engage with new audiences. An experience I hope will ignite an awareness of space and architectural personhood within my audience. How are we autonomous? How are we connected? Do you only see a body when it’s crumbling?

A poster for the show Sicko depicting Miel tied into an awkward postion with bandages against a background of paper streaked with black paint

“please, objectify me see me for what i'm not i'm the wavering lip i'm the crumbling wall or maybe i'm nothing at all ”

notes to nobody: Fragments from the installation

“Cotton mouth and linen teeth

Break my back with stitches of a needle

I’m already unravelling

Let me pile in your lap

Spilling like spaghetti

From the mouths of toddlers who’ve lost their mums

I’m the familiar stain on the family sofa

I’m the cracking on the wall ”

“I hate when couples sit

In the front seats

Atop red busses

Don’t you already have enough?

Leave the best seat

In the house

To those to experience it

Alone.”

An image of poetry tied to metal fencing, a podium is past the fencing covered in medication packaging. In the background a hole filled with water forms a industrial pond.
Miel atop rubble spray painting half demolished walls, the paint peeling off reveals the brickwork underneath.
An image of the performance space at night. Large white sheets adorned with spray painted lines provide a background atop a mound of rubble.
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Miel installed into the space. Covered in bandages head to toe, at six points she is connected to metal posts with more wrappings.
An image showing a trial run of Miel being installed into the space in daylight taken through metal fencing.
Miel installing chickenwire fencing into the space mounting it to exposed steel beams and rubble.
An image of a half demolished three story building. The shapes of the rooms still visible with doors exposed.
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A closer view of the the trial run of installing Miel into the space. Clearly visible are the 6 points to which wrappings were tied to Miel's extremities.
An image of the support crew installing a gas heater to provide some semblance of warmth.
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An aerial view of the final performance. It is night with the space being light by green tinged flood lighting. Miel can be seen wrapped in bandages from head to toe, affixed to the exposed rebar by further wrappings.