MERLANTIS
MERLANTIS
AKA
Fundraiser Party 12/27 6pm-2am
TICKETS
Mermaids, beautiful trash, and misschiff abound as you explore the flooded future of underwater Seattle as the freaky Mer-creature you always knew you were. Rampant commodification and exploitation of the world's resources have led to the ocean swallowing all our favorite shit, how fun! Watch as the freaky new mermaid society does their best to make treasure out of what fell from humanities collective booty.
Merlantis will be a 4000 sqft immersive installation homage to everything MERculture. You want mermaids?! There will be mermaids, or you'll be a mermaid, who knows!! You want crabs??? Nevermind that, but we will have a giant kinky CRAB TRAP that you or your loved one might get stuck in. It’s like a washing machine that smells like kelp on a sunny day.
On Saturday, December 27th you have the opportunity to help us create this vision.
Come dance the night astray and get your flippers right in the art.
Come fill the CHUM wall with YOUR CHUM.
Add to the Trash-Chihuli ceiling, Trashuli for short.
Bring your CLEAN plastic waste: bottles, shiny plastics, strong plastics, plastics you put things in.
Fucking clean it first! A bag of plastic probably gets you a drink token?
We also accept pretty ocean’y items: shells, shiny fabrics, half used cans of colorful paint, etc.
Meet a mermaid, wear a salmon hat, get your head stuck in 6-pack can rings, think about life on land?
Vision
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an underwater world created by a group of artists with a pre-existing webseries called Seatrip. The webseries tells the story of a timid human named Fisher who is transformed into a femme mermaid and caught up in a diabolical capitalist plot to exploit mermaids for their natural resources. We envision using the space as an interactive installation and as sets for underwater episodes of our webseries. The exhibit will use SeaTrip lore as a jumping off point, but it will stand on its own conceptually. Additionally, we will use the space for hosting staffed performances, ambient actors and other programming to make the space come alive.
This gallery installation is a real-world interactive embodiment of the SeaTrip themes and ethos. Through our narrative art we draw attention to the damaging effects of commodification and rampant capitalism on our planet, additionally normalizing LGBTQIA viewpoints. We hope this art will make the world safer for those who seek non-normative approaches to life and gender, and encourages self-reflection on how to create a healthier world.
For the installation itself, we aim to answer the question: what lies underneath the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? This underwater fantasy world is submerged in the detritus of human consumption, featuring a Seattle-esque world. This will be an urban environment imagined from a fish eye view, constructed from a combination of ocean floor materials and human trash fallen from the land above. There will be transitions between vignettes of the city-- from the posh, upscale throne room and surrounding coral gardens, to the seedy darker spaces of the back alley Chum Wall, kelp forest and the darker UV reactive abyssal zone.
Throughout the space will be mannequins wearing costumes, on scheduled days these costumes will be worn by ambient performers. On the throne sits Brosiedon, the douchey ruler of the mer people. Around the throne room are coral gardens, grown upon the submerged evidence of a flooded city. Ribbons and textiles hang from the ceiling, glistening rhinestones, a tactile, rainbow polished landscape with gobo lighting adding to the illusion of water moving around.
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Coral Wall
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Whale Bone Chill Zone
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Blissfish Employee Lounge
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Green Room
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Stage/ Clamshell Throne
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Project Description
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Human Exhibit
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Chum Wall Back Alley
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Kelp Forest
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Sea Witch Apothecary
Even More of our Vision!!!
In mer and fish society, they are curious about their human neighbors and the objects they seem to admire. Cellphones, soda cans, miscellaneous trash are revered objects strewn about in a mock human exhibit where visitors may pretend to be a human in a human world. This serves to show a parallel of our society and the comical misrepresentations fish may have of our lives.
Moving away from polite society we come across the Chum wall, an homage to Seattle’s Gum Wall. The lighting becomes progressively darker as we move through the alley. In addition to the Chum wall, we see other indications of the seedier underbelly of the fish world. Piles of fishing-related trash like tuna cans, buoys, and broken crab traps clutter the space (Upcycled from a planned beach clean-up day). We will use lighting and arrangement to bring discordant beauty to trash. Revolutionary graffiti urges shellfish to overthrow the ruling mermaid one-percenters. Next to a giant tuna can ballpit stands the character Scope Creep, the shrimp purveyor of illicit goods. Even deeper into the creepy alley way, you cross through a disconcerting kelp forest with dangling fabric tendrils that transitions the participant through a sensory experience on the way to the abyssal zone.
Our live ticketed performances will be taking place inside the canon of SeaTrip. Visitors will experience a day in the life of a mermaid by attending the ticketed events, sponsored by Blissfish (the fictional corporation in this webseries). Visitors will have a chance to participate in this society by interacting with ambient performers or the cabaret.
We want audience members to gain a different understanding of gender and human environmental impact, through a welcoming and lighthearted aesthetic. Only on closer inspection do you become aware of the horrors underlying society and gain direction for activism.
Our installation design team is composed of 9 key artists with a diverse set of experience in fine arts, performance and craft. And True Misschiff is made up of 40 artists who will come together to make this underwater realm a reality. We have a long track record of successfully organized events, performances and produced art work.
Each of the zones will have numerous artworks for sale, to be picked up at the end of the show run. We also have plans for a gift shop selling thematically appropriate items: mermaid kits, tiny fish sauce, laser cut fish jewelry, single use plastics, etc…
What led to this Art Installation?
This installation is an extension of True Misschiff's ongoing artistic work, particularly our project SeaTrip. SeaTrip is a musical comedy short film series that explores themes of gendered labor, the trans experience, and the destructive forces of unfettered capitalism on identity, community, and the environment. Much of the narrative unfolds underwater, as told by mermaids, making this installation an integral part of our filmmaking process. Specifically, the immersive environment will serve as backdrops for multiple underwater mermaid scenes within the film. Furthermore, we envision the possibility of integrating the filmmaking process into the exhibition, potentially allowing a live audience to witness the filming of certain scenes within the installation, offering a unique behind-the-scenes experience.
Our True Misschiff art collective came together in 2022 to create the rock-opera Spacetrip. After staging performances in two Seattle venues, we adapted the show into a short film, which won Best-in-Show at the HUMP Film Festival. Our work consistently blends immersive visual art, storytelling, and experimental filmmaking to create thought-provoking experiences. With Pacific Garbage Patch of Beauty, we continue this approach—crafting an installation that stands as both a striking piece of environmental commentary and a functional set for SeaTrip, advancing our mission to merge art and activism through immersive storytelling. We hope to be able to film one day per month in the installation. SeaTrip will be rated PG-13.
Programming
Progressive story elements will be present for those attendees who are curious enough to discover more. Guests to the installation will find a self-guided tour through museum style placards sharing mer-government-sanctioned historical context of the mermaid kingdom and its inhabitants. The placards will designate points of interest that are part of the “official” Blissfish tour. Outside of BlissFish territory in the Darker side of the city (still within the installation), guests will find clues of revolutionary activism in graffiti, thematic refuse, posters, etc. Within these sections of the installation there will be interactive art, a gift shop, and games to play: including a plinko board, fishing game, and human-sized climbable crab trap.
It wouldn't be a dystopian underwater immersive art experience without mermaids and sea critters to bring the story to life. Witness the lore unfold during 2 back to back weekends of scheduled programming that we are (tentatively (tentacly)) calling Fishheads and Fishnets. We are intending to have roaming ambient actors who embody life down under.
During ticketed nights, guests will meet a variety of fishy characters such as a SeaWitch with mysterious and often ominous foretellings, a shady shrimp dealing all of the undersea’s finest “Real Human Treasures” and black market goods, an official BlissFish ambassador ready to evangelize the benefits of conspicuous human consumption for all of Mer-kind, and a colorful BlissFish Truther eager to expose the dark underbelly and unforeseen consequences of the growing Human-Merkind economic partnership. Inspired by anachronistic coastal towns and real world examples of grit and resilience, these fishheads will give a deeper narrative and understanding of the complexities surrounding the ways that Blissfish has impacted the life of the everyfish.
That's not all: during these specially ticketed nights, we will have spotlight cabaret style performances. Led by seasoned performers and show producers from our community of freaks, we will present a 45 minute program with 4-5 nautical themed acts and an emcee who will incorporate glimpses of the lore of the world. There will be a rotating cast so every night is different: dance, juggling, flow arts, burlesque, music, singing and more! After the closing performance, we will invite guests to join us and celebrate with a fishtastic dance party.
This installation showcases an intersection of art, environmental activism, and immersive storytelling. The exhibit reflects the local marine ecosystem, celebrating the flora and fauna native to the Pacific while raising awareness of environmental threats.
Our collective’s multidisciplinary approach—spanning visual art, music, and film—creates a uniquely interactive experience that no other installation offers. Merlantis is not only a large-scale immersive work but also a living set for a film, merging art with narrative, expanding the boundaries of both disciplines.
Installation Details
Our goal is for at least 90% of the materials used in the installation to come from trash and recycled sources, gathered through community donations and waste drives. We will purchase only necessary supplies such as paint and select thrifted items to enhance the design.
Technical Requirements:
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Power access for lighting and potential projection mapping.
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Structural support to suspend objects from the ceiling.
Sustainability & Reuse:
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At the end of the installation, we will separate as many components as possible for reuse. Large sculptural pieces, such as marine life forms, will be sold or auctioned. Decorative flat sections will be framed and transformed into standalone art pieces. Proceeds from these sales will support SeaTrip and environmental initiatives.
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Elements that cannot be sold will be repurposed through partnerships with local festivals, Basecamp Studios, and Burning Man camps such as Deep C and Curiodyssea. Any remaining materials will be responsibly recycled or disposed of in an environmentally conscious manner.
Materials & Medium:
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The installation will primarily be constructed from cardboard, paper waste, and plastic waste. To source these materials, we will organize a community waste drive and allocate funding to incentivize donations—offering small payments to those who contribute materials or donating to an environmental charity for each pound of waste collected.
Lighting:
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Lights hidden in coral pointing up to reflect off a silver mylar ceiling, creating a shimmering underwater effect.
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RGB pin spots strategically placed to highlight marine life sculptures and coral structures.
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Optional projection mapping to simulate shifting underwater scenes.
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UV lighting to enhance phosphorescent and bioluminescent elements.
Sound:
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Surround sound speakers for an immersive 360-degree underwater atmosphere.
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A layered sound design featuring ocean waves, whale calls, distant boat engines, and the subtle creaks of shifting ice and coral reefs.
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Interactive sound elements triggered by movement, such as footsteps activating bubbles or deep-sea rumbles.
Operations:
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A simple on/off switch system to control lighting and sound for ease of daily operation.
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Remote-controlled lighting adjustments for dynamic effects during special events or performances.
Enhancements with Funding:
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If funding allows, we will incorporate projection mapping, high-tech lighting elements, fog machines, and bubble machines.
Community Engagement
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Workshops to Create Trash Art: Visitors can participate in hands-on workshops where they transform waste into art. They can take their creations home or donate them to the installation.
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Reflection Station: A dedicated space where visitors can write and post reflections about their experience, engaging in an ongoing dialogue about environmental impact.
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Selfie Section: A designated area designed as an interactive photo opportunity—where visitors can become the mermaid!
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Ongoing Interactivity: A live performance space within the installation to host events, discussions, and artistic activations.
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Garbage Drive: We will host a waste drive at the beginning of our access to the space, collecting clean plastic waste, old toys, and half-full paint cans. To encourage participation, we will pay community members for materials or donate funds to an eco-charity for each pound of waste collected. Our goal is to acquire 500 pounds of plastic waste.
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Community Clean-Up Walk: Organizing a neighborhood cleanup event to engage the local community in direct environmental action.
We estimate that 6000 visitors will pass through the installation over two months, offering a powerful opportunity to expose them to environmental messages and encourage them to examine their own purchasing and waste habits.
Ok!
So, you’ve seen this stellar concept, and by now, you’re probably thinking, ‘Wow, this is amazing—who are these people? Who’s behind this glorious trash-filled dream?
Team
Darren Coyote Sarkin
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Creative Director for SeaTrip
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Installation Artist and Sculptor
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Videographer
Brenna Baker
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Costume designer
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Sculpture artist
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Circus and Burlesque Creator
Miguel Eduardo
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Producer for SeaTrip
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Mergaine Actor
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Professional Painter
and Sculptor
Skipper Anima
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Producer for SeaTrip
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Media Professional
Evan Pedrola
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Installation Artist
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Metal and Fire worker
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SeaTrip Scenic Artist
Daniela Travieso
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Circus and Burlesque Artist
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Performance Producer
Marketing Plan
We are three episodes into our SeaTrip film project and plan to release content regularly over the next six months to build an engaged audience. This installation will be a central part of that process, providing both a visually stunning experience and a compelling call to action that aligns with our environmental themes.
Key Strategies
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Social Media Campaign
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Regular updates on the progress of the installation, including behind-the-scenes content, artist interviews, and time-lapse videos of its construction.
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A dedicated hashtag (e.g., #GarbagePatchBeauty) to encourage audience participation and visibility.
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Collaborations with environmental influencers, artists, and sustainability advocates to expand our reach.
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Community Engagement & Events
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Live-streamed workshops and Q&A sessions to involve online and in-person audiences.
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Partnering with local environmental organizations and schools to bring group visits and discussions into the space.
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Interactive elements such as the Selfie Section and Reflection Station designed for social media sharing, creating organic promotional reach.
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Press & Media Outreach
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Press releases targeting arts, sustainability, and culture-focused publications.
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Outreach to local news, podcasts, and environmental blogs to feature the installation and its message.
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Collaboration with Basecamp Studios existing PR channels to maximize visibility.
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On-Site Film Production
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Monthly filming sessions within the installation will not only contribute to SeaTrip but will also generate ongoing promotional content for the exhibit itself.
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Featuring visitors and community members in our media outputs to reinforce their connection to the project.
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Strategic Partnerships
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Aligning with businesses and brands that support sustainability efforts, such as eco-conscious retailers and recycling programs.
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Potential sponsorships or collaborations that can provide additional resources while expanding our audience.
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By implementing these strategies, we will ensure that Pacific Garbage Patch reaches a broad and engaged audience, driving traffic to Basecamp Studios and fostering a deeper connection between art, activism, and community participation.
Wow!
And just like that, we've reached the end of this project description.
What a trip!