"Biophilia is the urge to affiliate with other living forces. The term literally means the love of life or living systems. Biophilia is a residency for Canadian and international artists interested in ecology, nature and life sciences to interact with the living world. It will take place over a week in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada in the summer of 2018. The residency will involve daily excursions into natural habitats for collection of materials and exploration of a wide range of Canadian wilderness. Expeditions into forests, wildlife sanctuaries, farms and research labs will be enriched by biologists, naturalists and experts."

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Mellissa began her research and love of the fungal world throughout this residency which later developed into the project Immortal Ground, where she created an installation about the Reishi mushroom and immortality in nature. Mellissa continues to explore the fungal world and attend residencies to develop project ideas.