From the Perspective of Coral
An exhibition in seven rooms
There are a large number of particulates suspended
in the ocean, and while suicide does not
have eyelashes to keep particulates out of its eyes
as humans do, it emits a certain frequency
(some call it a hum, a toothache,
the background wind of a 4am voicemail)
which continuously bathes the eye
with an oily protein mucous.
*
Considered one of the least-known
and rarest living things, suicide
is hardly ever seen with the naked eye
except last week in Morrisons when
reaching for a mango, opening
a box of eggs
to check for cracks.
*
Suicide needs to see
in a wide range of light levels.
Anyone who has gone scuba diving knows
the difficulties of underwater vision.
Visibility can be affected by the turbidity of water
and the deeper you get
the less light penetrates and you slowly
lose colours.
*
I’d like to draw your attention to slide 7
‘Suicide Suspended’, as seen from the ocean floor
(from the perspective of coral).
It is unclear as to whether suicide is ascending
or descending. It is unclear as to whether
suicide is alone or calling to a mate.
*
I’d like you to imagine the deepest,
widest body of water you can.
I’d like you to hold this water in your mind
the way you might an auntie or pet.
I’d like you to call this water your water.
Now, please fill out this short questionnaire:
Is it night or day in your water?
Would you call your water a friend or an enemy?
Has your water ever been taught how to float?
Does your water remember a particular holiday in Tenerife?
Does the sight of your water make your nose itch?
Do hospitals sleep in your water?
If your water could talk, would it be kind?
Would its voice be deep or high-pitched?
Does your water have its own mythology?
What is your water’s favourite season?
What was your water’s first thought this morning?
What was the last thing it drowned?
*
Suicide vocalizations are the sounds made by suicide
to communicate. The word ‘song’
is used in particular to describe the pattern
of regular and predictable sounds
made by suicide in a way that is reminiscent
of a human singing.
See, for instance, this pizza-eating example
(resident of England some 26 years).
See how it wears shorts in the park in summer?
See how it makes plans to visit Japan with a friend?
See how it chews sugar free gum? Pays rent?
Here it comes…
Don’t breathe too hard!
Would you look at that… making small talk with the bus driver!
Remarkable… simply remarkable.
*
Suicide plays hide and seek with a human diver
suicide disappears behind the hull of a sunk ship
suicide [blushing] is a terrible flirt
stop it! For crying out loud stop it!
(canned laughter, spatters of booing)
suicide slinks off stage left
crouches at the other end of the ocean