The mixed-media installation A Volar is a poignant intersection between grief, time, and the power of art. At its core, this installation consists of a selection of photos from a throw-away camera, which was a birthday present to Simon(e) two weeks before Aérea Negrot’s death. In the aftermath of her departure, Simon(e) continued to capture everyday moments infused with grief and pain. The analog pictures encapsulate a utopic time preceding/following the point of no return, becoming a tangible repository of what happens in between life and death. Simon(e)s last pictures were taken on their arrival for the residency of “The Hungry Mist” in the territory of the tum xula7xw of the sn̓ʕay̓ckstx people. Among the photos on the wall, the public can see pictures of the altar that Simon(e) did in Berlin with other friends, once they knew about Aérea’s passing and a ghostly photo of Aérea vanishing in black and white, almost like a spiritual apparition. Interwoven within the visual narrative is the last WhatsApp conversation between Aérea and Simon(e), occurring just 35 minutes before Aérea’s passing. Seemingly trivial messages echo with bittersweet resonance in the installation, fostering a timeless dialogue between the departed artist and the grieving artist, capturing the essence of their connection. The overarching theme of elongating life beyond death weaves through the various components of the installation, presenting a conceptual thread that seeks to “trick time” and subvert the seemingly irremediable nature of death.

Selection of Festivals, Exhibitions & Awards

Xposed Queer Film Festival Berlin 2024 (Only the work-in-progress of the film)

Oxygen Art Centre 2024, as part of an artist residency and the subsequent exhibition titled ‘The Hungry Mist (A Névoa Faminta),’ curated by Rodrigo D’Alcântara

Credits

In Memory of Aérea Negrot

A multimedia installation by: SIMON(E) JAIKIRIUMA PAETAU | Cast: (In order of appearance) AÉREA NEGROT, SARA MATTHIASSON, ISA GONZÁLEZ TORO, LAURA PAETAU, JAO MOON, RAMÓN, LALO, SIMON(E) JAIKIRIUMA PAETAU, CHRISTIAN KÜLLMEI, RIV ROSENFELD, MIGUEL TORO, ALEX CARILLO, JOYCE MUVUNYI, ELIZABETH PIRELA, KRISTINA KONRAD, LUCÍA GONZÁLEZ, FRIEDERIKE HIRZ | Excerpts from the following performances (in order of appearance): LaLoVe’s Kitchen by LALO GOMES; Manifiesta! by AEREA NEGROT AND SIMON(E) JAIKIRIUMA PAETAU, HAMBURGER BAHNHOF, MIGUEL TORO.

This installation was created with gratitude in the territory of the tum xula7xw of the sn̓ʕay̓ckstx people, as part of the exhibition “THE HUNGRY MIST” at OXYGEN ART CENTRE, Nelson B.C., Canada.