Performance artist Zack Mennell, who uses lower case for their name, fell ill with Weil's disease after wearing a costume made from 24 adult nappies into the River Thames. The project, titled (para)site, aimed to highlight sewage discharge in UK waterways and challenge the labelling of benefit claimants as a 'drain on society'. Mennell contracted the bacterial infection from rat urine in the water, making their performance more literal than intended.
Mennell grew up near the chalk pits of Thurrock, Essex, and has long been drawn to the Thames for their art. Their work often explores queerness, disability, and survival, blending personal and political themes. In the Thames performance, they held NHS psychiatric documents printed on rice paper, letting the words dissolve into the water. They described the act as a way to change their relationship with the 'cold, official documents' from their own mental health breakdown.
The nappy suit was later used in another performance where audiences read the documents aloud. Mennell tried to keep the suit but abandoned it because 'the smell wasn't healthy'. Their work is described as challenging but aimed at connection, not merely unsettling viewers. 'It's a confrontation,' Mennell said, 'but it's also about finding a moment of connection.'
In March, Mennell will open the Safehouses in Peckham for Common Host, a weekend of performances, screenings, and workshops engaging with ancient folklore and ecological decay. The event is supported by experimental performance producers Future Ritual and will include work from collaborators like Martin O'Brien. A day-long workshop will invite participants to examine their relationship with a 'contaminated' material and redefine its hold over them.
