✒️✂️ New Publication- Gain of Function: New Mutations/Old Traditions/Collective Effervescence✂️✒️

I was delighted to have the opportunity to engage with this project by Emily Denlinger at Kolaj Fest 2025 back in July. Taking inspiration from the history of piracy on the West Coast of Ireland, I created a character to suit. I am really excited to see this new publication from the Kolaj Institute and find my piratical miscreant amongst its pages.. I am really excited to see this new publication from the Kolaj Institute and find my piratical miscreant amongst its pages.
Read more about Emily’s ongoing Gain of Function/ New Mutation project below.
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”Gain of Function: New Mutations/Old Traditions/Collective Effervescence is a project led by Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA-based artist Emily Denlinger that speaks to the role of art, ritual, and resilience. Building on her own work, Denlinger engaged with thirty-nine artists at the 2025 edition of Kolaj Fest New Orleans to make locative collage photographs in an artist-created landscape inspired by global masking traditions. The resulting artworks are presented in this zine published by Kolaj Institute. "The project functions as 21st century folklore with each character potentially representing a magical creature or masked performer in some yet-to-be-imagined ritual," wrote Kolaj Institute Director Ric Kasini Kadour. "Like the odd, creature-like figures of early 20th century Surrealists, they, too, are a response to deeply troubled times and offer us the opportunity to find a collective effervescence to see us through them."
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To read more about the fantastic and ongoing Gain of Function / New Mutations project click HERE.

To purchase the Zine and check out more publications from the Kolaj Institute & Kasini House click HERE.

For more magical mutations from Emily Denlinger click HERE.