2018 - Ongoing
Solastalgia
Solastalgia is a neologism, formed by the combination of the Latin words sōlācium (comfort) and the Greek root -algia (pain, suffering, grief), that describes a form of emotional or existential distress caused by environmental change.
This is an ongoing performance project documenting the artist afloat in various climate vulnerable locations. The first photograph was taken in August 2018 on the Potomac River in Washington, DC. The second photograph was taken in August 2022 in New York Harbor, NY. A third photograph is currently planned for Miami, Florida, the artist’s hometown.
Washington, D.C.
2018
New York City, NY
2022
Miami, FL
Coming Soon…
The word “solastaligia” was coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht in his 2003 book Solastalgia: a new concept in human health and identity. He describes it as "the homesickness you have when you are still at home" and your home environment is changing in ways you find distressing.
In many cases this is in reference to global climate change, but more localized events such as volcanic eruptions, drought or destructive mining techniques can cause solastalgia as well.Differing from nostalgic distress on being absent from home, solastalgia refers to the distress specifically caused by environmental change while still in a home environment. In 2015, an article in the medical journal The Lancet included solastalgia as a contributing concept to the impact of climate change on human health and well-being. More recent approaches have connected solastalgia to the experience of historic heritage threatened by the climate crisis, such as the ancient cities of Venice, Amsterdam, and Hoi An.