Tlanchana, will I find you here?
Video, plywood and bulrush (Typha latifolia)
75 x 25 x 80 cm
2024
This piece is a visual diary in my quest to find the Tlanchana in Finland. The Tlanchana is a mythological half-woman, half-snake creature that lives in what was once called the Las Nueve Aguas (Chignahuapan) lagoon in central Mexico. This journey begins with my shocking discovery of bulrush (Typha latifolia) in the bays of Helsinki since my last approach to this aquatic plant was when I worked with a group of weavers in Tultepec, State of Mexico, who used the fibers of this plant to make crafts.
Tlanchana, will I find you here? unearths the siren sisters of their Mexican relative, discovering the folkloric relationships in the Nordic countries with its aquatic mythologies. But more questions arise amidst the fragile contexts that more-than-human life may face within these bodies of water amid current environmental challenges. What is going to happen to the sirens of Mexico and Finland? How are we going to protect them? Are they going to become extinct? What rituals would we offer these creatures during these times so that they continue to protect us?
This piece was part of the group show ‘Offerings to the Undergrowth’ at Villa Lill Kallvik, Helsinki.