2019 - 2021

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Canary in the Coal Mine is a silent video montage that reflects on the lived realities of climate change in Miami. Composed of black-and-white moving images drawn from the artist’s daily surroundings, the work traces subtle but persistent encounters with a changing environment. These sequences are abruptly interrupted by a vivid still image of a yellow canary, whose sudden appearance disrupts the visual rhythm of the film.

 

The frequency of these interruptions increases over time, calibrated to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documenting the rise in ocean heat content since 1998. As the intervals shorten, the mounting presence of the canary introduces a growing sense of urgency.

 

Referencing the historical use of canaries in coal mines as early warning systems for toxic gases, the work employs the bird as a visual alarm. Miami being one of the cities most vulnerable to sea-level rise and climate impacts, the series transforms a familiar metaphor into a meditation on environmental precarity and the accelerating signals of planetary warming.