Hanna Cormick and The Mermaid

In 2018 Australian performance artist Hanna Cormick went to see an exhibition called ‘Hyper Real’ at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. This was a particularly special outing for Cormick since, several years prior, she had become severely ill with what doctors described as a ‘trifecta’ of rare genetic conditions—Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, mast cell activation syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Once an accomplished circus, dance, acrobat and physical theatre performer with a thriving career in Europe, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome now made every part of her body prone to dislocate easily, including internal organs and veins. Mast cell activation syndrome meant she suffered severe allergic reactions to everyday pollutants in the air—smoke, deodorants, food, ink. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome affected her heart and blood flow, making it difficult for her body to be upright without fainting.