I went to check out the exhibition “Sobre Perecer” by Monica Hirano at the PF 2119 gallery and I was surprised. The sensation caused by the works is one of strangeness, the collection has an aesthetic similar to what can be seen in the audiovisuals of the songs by Venezuelan singer and composer Arca. There is a morbid and somewhat scary tone, but with something organic and visceral at the same time. With the artist’s own words, I was able to see further.
To give light to who we are
A bunch of stacked plaster dental arches connected to an aluminum pipe that, in turn, connects everything to a single plaster dental arch open 180 degrees with a lit candle in the center. This work (which when described may seem somewhat abstract) explains, in sensitive language, how many generations are needed to give birth to being who we are. Apart from the fact that, through the arches, genetic information preserved for many, many years can be revealed. The work was called “Remembrance of who I am for who they were” and opens the exhibition, it is right at the gallery’s entrance door.
“Every pain needs to be heard. That’s why I decided to create works that talk about your absence, the person who was born in me after your departure and how I decided to look at my inevitable destiny.”
Monica Hirano
The lack of dialogue and the discomfort of talking about grief and death are reflections that the works on display provoke. They even bring a certain beauty to the subject. People of all ages are able to feel and reflect on this mysterious topic that connects us as humans.
The whole thing is skin-crawling, as everyone has a kind of delicate relationship with death. Monica says that one of the inspirations for working on this exhibition were the Shinto teachings that her grandmother brought during her life and also Buddhism. This brought up some questions, like “what happens after we die?” or “how to deal with death and grief?”.
The strongest chill during the visit I felt when connecting with the work “Did I bring the key that opens the door to heaven?”, in which, along each ring of a metal chain, the artist fitted keys that her father I used to collect them when I was alive. At that moment, the fear that exists in me of losing people close to me perhaps found an open door.
The exhibition runs until March 27th, Wednesday, from 6pm to 8pm, at PF 2119 (R. Brigadeiro Franco, 2119/2137). Discover other works by the artist here.
About the author
Tags: Exhibition Perishing Monica Hirano reveals strangeness beauty death
