Ephemerisle

Elysium was the largest island at Ephemerisle — three to four hundred people camped in the delta on whatever would float and could be tied to something else that floated.

A central barge carried around a hundred and seventy-five tent campers, a kitchen, and a set of spaces built to be walked through rather than merely occupied. Around it grew a sailboat village, a World War II tugboat, yachts, houseboats and floating art, all joined by walkways we built on the water.

Most of the work is anchoring, and then coordinating how several hundred people arrive by water, connect to the island, and stay safely secured while it keeps growing around them. Twelve of us were out there for two weeks to produce four days of event. We provided bathrooms, kitchens, and power from generators and solar on the barge; everyone brought their own food and water.

The delta has tides, so the whole island breathes in and out with them — still attached to its anchor lines, most of the time. Occasionally it comes apart and has to be reordered and re-anchored while people are living on it.

I brought my own installation out in 2016 and helped where I could. In 2017 I volunteered to run the build. In 2018 I came out, camped on the barge, and enjoyed not being responsible for any of it.