River Rights:
Guardians for the Hogsmill

Responding to Thomas Pausz's 'Haunted Ecologies' exhibition at Stanley Picker Gallery, this project explores the concept of legal personhood for non-human entities, featured a curated dinner event to empower local communities to advocate for the Hogsmill River's rights.

The table runner served as a powerful metaphor for the Hogsmill River itself. Flowing across the room, it symbolically brought the river into the heart of the gathering, inviting it as an honoured guest to the dinner table. This visual representation allowed participants to connect more deeply with the river's presence and importance. By placing the Hogsmill at the centre of their discussions, literally and figuratively, we emphasised its crucial role in the community and the urgent need for its preservation.

Towards the end of the event, guests were invited to participate in a ribbon-tying activity that further strengthened their connection to the river. Each participant was encouraged to write their responses, commitments, or hopes for the river's future on fabric ribbons. These personal pledges were then tied to the table runner, interweaving the participants' promises with the symbolic representation of the river. This act of tying their commitments to the "river" created a powerful visual representation of the community's collective dedication to becoming guardians of the Hogsmill.