by Deepikah RB and Algae cultures. Read by Rish Anchalia.
The president and his handler didn’t believe in climate change. “We don’t think it’s real,” they said, as the oceans rose and the skies burned.
The Ministry of Global Pleasant Weather ordered a quick fix—if only to calm the PR storm. The minions at the electric car company proposed replacing trees with algae stations. One intern, who had recently skimmed a nature meme, said, “Algae produces ten times more oxygen than trees. “And unlike trees, they won’t get in the way of our new car factories.”
So, towers of bubbling spirulina were installed across the city—lined up like obedient soldiers. But, trapped in these towers outside their natural habitats, the algae struggled. They rotted in the shadows, dried out in the heat, and were forgotten as the tech bros moved on to mining new planets.
Until, the children came.
Drawn by the green liquid and bubbles, the children played around the tubes. Some brought pond water. Others whispered to the algae, sang songs, and made up names and poured the algae into found bottles. The algae responded and bloomed again—softly, quietly, under the care of small, sticky hands.
Years later, most algae stations were gone. The world had long since moved on to its next big fix—sun-blocking satellites. Yet, a few of the stations still stand—overgrown, silent, shimmering faintly under the satellites' shadow.
Deepikah was selected to showcase one of her thesis works in the Untapped section. The Untapped Emerging Artists Competition is dedicated to supporting the development of students, new graduates, and self-taught artists. This juried program provides free space and a platform for emerging artists to launch their artwork and make connections within the world of contemporary art.
Artist in Residence at Fool's Paradise
The Ontario Heritage Trust is committed to respecting how artists choose to identify themselves and recognizes these as deeply personal decisions. Deepikah will be the artist in residence at Fool's Paradise in July 2025.