Last month, Calgary artist Samuel Garrigó Meza sent the following letter to Tom Katinas, president and CEO of tarsands giant Syncrude on behalf of his temporary display space, the Duck Memorial Gallery:

“I am currently working on a memorial for the 1,606 ducks that died in the Aurora tailings pond on April 28, 2008. The memorial consists of 1,606 origami ducks, each made from a 5-by-5 inch piece of coloured paper. As of today, I have constructed 1,250 ducks. My plan is to have the memorial ready in time for the anniversary of the ducks’ death and to display it at the Duck Memorial Gallery.”

“The purpose of this letter is to invite you, and any other member of Syncrude who would like to participate, to visit my apartment and make ducks with me. The ducks are very easy to make; I could teach you how in a matter of minutes.”

“I look forward to hearing from you and hope that, despite a very busy schedule, you can find the time to accept my invitation.”

Meza’s letter did not elicit a response. Undeterred, he has been toiling away in the tiny studio space of his Calgary home since last November — folding squares of coloured paper into geometric ducks.

Last week Meza erected the Duck Memorial Gallery in his downtown home for those who wanted to see his progress and participate in constructing the miniature monuments.

Almost militant, the sea of multicoloured forms sprawls across the floor of his spare bedroom-turned-studio-turned-memorial gallery. They are markedly different from the blackened birds that drowned in the tailings ponds two years ago.”

Syncrude is currently in provincial court on charges of violating the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act as well as the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act. It is accused of not employing the necessary deterrents to ward off wild fowl from its tailings pond. The largest refuse pool in the country, the pond is located within a sensitive ecological area of the Boreal plains: It is an open-pit reservoir of pollutants that increases daily by 500,000 tonnes of industrial waste.

While the government and Syncrude battle in court, Meza has been sitting calmly in his home folding paper in silent protest and heartfelt remembrance of the tragedy. His passive resistance is a nod to Sadako Sasaki’s memorial cranes, which had hundreds of people folding paper cranes in remembrance of children affected by the Hiroshima bombing, and embodies that unique example of craftivism.

The humble, temporary installation represents an unconventional monument very unlike a typical protest. Meza’s resolve and stamina is directed toward an alternative approach to political action. His ritual is a means of codifying the loss of the birds, and also the political conditions that allowed the tragedy to transpire.

Amidst the power play of political discourse, Meza opts for calm protest — a quiet rebellion that serves to amplify the injustices carried out by corporate forces above him. He personalizes an environmental and political issue and gives it a human basis in his domestic space, folding paper ducks with his hands.

The Duck Memorial Gallery is open to visitors by appointment until the end of the Victoria Day long weekend. To arrange a visit, call Meza at 403-209-1010.