Etiological Hydro Disruption Report (EHDR)

Tap water not only breaks the boundary between home and public space, but also the internal and external borders of the body. The audio play Etiological Hydro Disruption Report (EHDR) by Teo Ala-Ruona, originally from Kuopio, explores the intimate politics of drinking water.

EHDR connects the body to the water cycle, in which oil residues filter from lakes into groundwater and pass through purification processes all the way to our taps. The audio play travels with the oil as it transforms from an ancient seawater-infused liquid hidden deep within the earth into solid microplastic found all over the globe. It carries the listener alongside a creature floating in a womb seeping with plastic particles, out into a world where a range of biological definitions await it.

The refining of crude oil begins when it is separated from other materials in the soil. In the audio play, this process is juxtaposed to the way science categorizes human bodies according to a binary concept of gender. What happens if the newborn being challenges this division from the very moment of birth?

The work continues Ala-Ruona’s long-term artistic research into the connections between trans bodies and ecological discourses. He critically examines scientific claims that suggest petrochemical residues in water systems influence the origins of transgender identity. 

Waterways

EHDR is part of the multidisciplinary Waterways project, which features works exploring the mythical, ideological, and emotional dimensions of the waterways in eastern Finland. The curator of the Waterways project is Riikka Thitz, who works in the fields of contemporary performance and visual arts, and the project is produced by i dolci ry. More information about Waterways can be found here.

The performance is part of Kuopio250 anniversary year programme and it has received production support of the anniversary year.