What is death but the event that connects us most intimately with life? An author famous for putting himself at the centre of his works of fiction speaks about the end of existence, sharing a vision that is as radical as it is subtle.
In keeping with the autofiction that has characterised Uruguay dramatist Sergio Blanco’s work for years, his text ‘Memento mori’ or the celebration of death is a monologue, which will be performed by the author in the format of a lecture. Using only a writing desk, some books and a lamp as props, along with the visual projection of a series of selected images showing universal paintings, the text narrated by Blanco will draw us into an exhibition about death that is profound, radical and witty.
As the reading progresses, we will gradually realise that we are being captivated by Blanco's original format, which he calls a theatrical essay or an autofictional lecture: he speaks not only of death itself, but also the intimate way in which the author experiences it, suffering the pain and the torment, while also experiencing enjoyment and delight. Because the text is not limited to a simple, predictable and comfortable condemnation of death, but also delights in the celebration of a phenomenon which, according to the author, is what connects us most intimately with life.
Therefore, in ‘Memento mori’ or the celebration of death, the complex matter of death escapes the usual castrating morality and is free to enter the terrain of poetry. Or as Sergio Blanco puts it: “Literature is the place that humanity may have found to speak about death. To say it. To speak about it. To remember it. In this way, the literary world embraces death by making it poetic”.
Author, director and performer: Sergio Blanco Audiovisual design: Philippe Koscheleff Photographs: Matilde Campodónico Production and circulation: Matilde López Espasandín
