Fin Fin: JOY is an act of Resistance

“Joy is an act of resistance”- Toi Dericotte

Many thanks to my ethereal friend Bethan for introducing me to Fin Fin on Teo, the Magic Planet (PC, 1996)

You can read Toi’s poem from which the line is referenced here:

Project MUSE – Joy is an act of resistance, and: Special ears, and: Another poem of a small grieving for my fish Telly, and: On the reasons I loved Telly the fish

More ideas on joyful rebellion:

Joy is an Act of Resistance: How Celebration Sustains Activism – The Aesthetics of Joy by Ingrid Fetell Lee

So the thought behind this image has a few layers to it. Toi’s poem is about her reflections on owning a pet fish (named Telly) with her identity as a Black woman, where she declares that joy is an act of resistance. The phrase became wildly popular as a slogan in the past 5 years, but unfortunately obscured from it’s original context and author. Fin fin is a half dolphin half bird digital pet from a video game in the 90s. People built a strong bond with Fin Fin despite it being a figment of code. With this quote displayed alongside Fin Fin, parallels to Telly and Toi’s reflections through him are made. The stickers and sparkle decorations are frivolous bits of fun, but nonetheless bring joy.