The Brine Project

**Please note that this event is now sold out. We thank everyone for their
enthusiasm!**

Join interdisciplinary artist **Simone Lucas** and the Museum of Jewish
Montreal for a fish tasting session and presentation of work-in-progress.
**_The Brine Project_** asks how odorous, pickled fish brine could be
remediated as a multimedia video installation. While Simone was traveling in
Lodz, Poland on a family heritage trip, a tour guide shared a story: in a pre-
war fishmongers’ market, herring brine soaked so deeply into the ground that
the smell of fish persisted for a decade after the war. In this tale, brine
becomes a unique agent of memorialization. **This project investigates how
brine and video-as-brine could preserve stories about fish and Jews, leaving
material and non-material traces such as smell along the way.**

Simone will present work in progress and lines of inquiry on fish
preservation, inviting questions and contributions from participants. Pickling
fish is integral to Simone’s artistic research. The audience will have an
opportunity to smell and taste home-preserved fish and learn about the
pickling process. All will be invited to share the memories and sensations
these foods evoke. Vegan options will be provided.

**Attendees are kindly asked to wear masks for the duration of the event,
except while consuming food.**

**Cost:** Attendees are invited to contribute a voluntary cash donation at
the door. A limited amount of pickled fish will be available for sale.

**Event Accessibility:** The event space is wheelchair accessible. It will
take place indoors, in a large room with high ceilings. We would be grateful
if you contact us ahead of time for any specific accessibility needs.

**About Simone:** Simone Lucas (she/hers & they/them pronouns) is an
interdisciplinary video artist, educator, and community activist of Jewish
Ashkenazi descent, a white settler based in Tio’tia:ke/Mooniyang (aka
Montreal).

**Event Poster Image Description:**
A black and white image. In the foreground, a large mason jar containing large
pieces of seemingly raw fish. The jar casts a dark shadow behind it. The event
information appears within the contours of the shadow: “The Brine Project.
Thursday, August 18, 6:00pm-7:00pm, 5220 boul. St-Laurent”.

Simone’s educational background integrates cultural studies and media
production. She has an MA in Media Studies from Concordia University with
scholarships from the FQRSC and SSHRC. _ _
Simone creates with video, multimedia installation, sound, and performance.
Their non-fiction film,[ _I Think About You Every
Day_](https://vimeo.com/386571827/e0bd9a5806), takes a feminist,
autobiographical approach by drawing on their personal archive of
correspondence with a friend.

_This event is a part of the Museum of Jewish Montreal’s Microgrant Program
for Creative or Cultural Exploration, which is funded by the Quebec Community
Group Network’s Community Investment Fund._

View event on Jlive: https://jlive.app/events/2573