Just give me a bit more time to finish my letter
Art Residency at Basement 6 , Shanghai, 2017
[ENG] Based on the expectation of a letter that never arrives, I created Just give me a bit more time to finish my letter. This performance approaches the wait as a dramatic action, so as to touch upon the depths of abandonment, and invites the spectator to face the transcendental act of saying goodbye.
[ESP] A partir de la expectativa generada por una carta que no llega, creo Just give me a bit more time to finish my letter. La performance toma la espera como acción dramática para ahondar en el tema del abandono, e invita al espectador a enfrentarse al trascendental acto de decir adiós.
Posterior a una inesperada ruptura amorosa y bajo la necesidad de ordenar las confusas razones del sujeto amado (A), inicio un proceso de contención donde durante 30 días me auto-remito una carta de despedida que A ha prometido pero dilatado enviar. En estas expongo distintas razones ante la repentina decision de A, revisando los hitos universales del discurso amoroso y planteando la atemporalidad de la problemática de pareja.
Cuando finalmente A despacha la ansiada carta, decido no leerla (ya valía mas la pena no hacerlo) y abro el proceso al público, invitándolo a leer dicha carta y contestarla. Mi compromiso con la audiencia será enviar todas las respuestas al departamento de A en Nueva York.
Some of the 30 letters written by Maria Luisa pretending to be A’s response
After an unexpected breakup and feeling the need to make sense of the confusing reasons given by the loved one (A), I began a process of emotional containment. For 30 days, I sent myself a farewell letter, the same letter A had promised to write but kept postponing. In these letters, I explored different possible explanations for A’s sudden decision, visiting several milestones of the universal discourse of love, and suggests a sense of timelessness in romantic conflict.
When A finally sent the long-awaited letter, I chose not to read it (by then, not reading it felt more meaningful), and instead opened the process to the public. I invited others to read the letter and write a response. My commitment to the audience was to mail all their replies to A’s apartment in New York.
Some of the 80 letters that the participants sent to A. Many of the letters were not opened by the recipient
Technical Specifications:
Venue: Basement 6, Shanghai
Materials: Rice paper, Chinese ink, gold elastic thread, hooks, envelopes
On view: 1 week
Supported by: AL Works Shanghai, Basement 6, Cultural Consulate of Chile in Shanghai
