18. YUL Creativity-Pt. 2 — Hey Mikiki

About this episode

Éric interviews performance artist Mikiki about their journey and the intersection of art and activism in the context of chemsex.

Montreal host Éric introduces performance artist Mikiki, whose journey from "baby anarchist" to queer health activist informs their provocative work. Mikiki discusses video as an anti-market medium for activism and how complex PTSD led them to prioritize art over traditional employment. They explore Mikiki’s video "Red Flags: A Love Letter," which reframes injection drug use through a neutral or positive lens. The conversation captures the communal reality of chemsex and the underground’s "glamour," framing creative expression as a survival strategy while navigating substance use. If you’re looking for support, please explore our list of Chemsex resources/services. Browse Mikiki's work: Mikiki's website Mikiki's "Red Flags: A Love Letter" for Visual AIDS Untitled (00.002): Performance documentation on grief and loss 00.002 projection: Multi-channel video component from the performance: Behind-the-scenes of "Red Flags: A Love Letter" work: Instagram Reel

People in this episode

Host: Éric

Guest: Mikiki

Topics covered

• queer health activism
• performance art
• complex PTSD
• chemsex
• substance use
• creative expression

Keywords

• chemsex
• queer activism
• performance art
• complex PTSD
• substance use
• video activism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Visual AIDS

Books & works: Red Flags: A Love Letter

More episodes of Chemstories – a podcast about PnP/chemsex (English-language edition)

• 32. YHZ Maturity-Pt. 2 — I Know What I Am · May 22, 2026 · 30 min
• 31. YHZ Maturity-Pt. 1 — Hey Harry & Hector · May 21, 2026 · 30 min
• 30. YHZ Resilience-Pt. 2 — Giving Grace · May 15, 2026 · 31 min
• 29. YHZ Resilience-Pt. 1 — Hey Steven & James · May 15, 2026 · 33 min
• 28. YHZ Activism — Hey Andrew · May 8, 2026 · 28 min
• 27. YHZ Prelude — Why It's Important, Halifax · May 8, 2026 · 9 min