From July 13 to 18, 2025, BASE Milano hosts the second phase of the artistic residency by Canadian collective Mammalian Diving Reflex, in collaboration with the participants of SOTTOSPECIE, as part of the international project Mammalian Droppings.
This new chapter, titled Many Many Ways, marks the return of Mammalian Diving Reflex to BASE following an intense initial phase of research and experimentation last May. During that first encounter, the SOTTOSPECIE participants took part in the “Adrift” workshop, exploring the Tortona district while collecting stories, questions, and urban contradictions—through a practice the collective describes as social acupuncture.
The result? Over 30 ideas for participatory performances emerged from their interactions with shopkeepers, residents, and passersby. These proposals wove together biographies, collective desires, and shared imaginaries—reimagining the urban landscape as a space for unexpected human connections.
Many Many Ways: A Walkable Urban Performance
In this second phase, participants will collaborate with two artists from Québec City (Canada), co-creators of the Many Many Ways format. The workshop culminates in a public urban walk-performance, taking place on Friday, July 18, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM.
The format is simple yet powerful: the audience starts from a shared location, then splits off along diverging paths, guided by audio tracks and unconventional performers. Each route is unique—designed to surprise and awaken a sense of attention toward what usually goes unnoticed. In the end, everyone meets again at the same final destination, each having experienced a completely different journey.
An International Experiment
Many Many Ways is part of Mammalian Droppings, a pilot project for artistic production engaging emerging young artists across several global cities: Riga, Québec City, and Milan. The aim? To test out new, collaborative, and sustainable models for international artistic creation—where ideas collected in one location are developed and realized in another, fostering an ongoing exchange of local experiences, visions, and practices.
Born in Toronto, Mammalian Diving Reflex has been working for years at the intersection of participatory performance and human connection among strangers. Their motto? “Ideal entertainment for the end of the world.”
CREDITS
Many Many Ways is a production by Mammalian Diving Reflex, part of the Mammalian Droppings project, with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
The residency is hosted by BASE Milano and developed in collaboration with SOTTOSPECIE, a training program for young cultural practitioners under 23.
UN PROGETTO REALIZZATO CON IL SOSTEGNO DI
