Fin­folk, 2003

Digit­al video, SD, 4:3

07:38 min.

Filmed in Ber­wick-Upon-Tweed, UK

Per­formed by Mar­cus Coates

Cam­era and sound by Mar­cus Coates

Pho­to­graphy by Mark Pinder

Pro­duced by Ber­wick Gym­nas­i­um Fel­low­ship Programme

Coates emerges from the North Sea assum­ing the per­sona of a Selkie or Fin­folk – a legendary creature from Scot­tish, Iceland­ic and Nor­we­gi­an folk­lore cap­able of shed­ding its seal skin to appear human on land. Ima­gin­ing the lin­guist­ic cap­ab­il­it­ies of a seal, Coates climbs onto the pier and attempts, as seal, to speak and act like a human. He then retreats back into the sea.

.gal­lery gallery.