Reminiscencia

With one click of the cursor, Malicho Vaca Valenzuela delves into the bowels of the internet in search of stories from his neighbourhood in Chile's capital Santiago. He clicks his way back to times long gone, suppressed revolutions and mysterious love stories. Personal and collective memory are blended into an immersive experience - part fairy tale, part documentary - and digital technologies are used in a gentle and healing way.

Memory, body, land and dissidence are at the heart of the work of Malicho Vaca Valenzuela, an artist belonging to the emerging Chilean generation. He relishes the simple poetry of everyday life and processes the poignant presence of his grandparents in Reminiscencia. Broadcast live online and presented on stage by the narrator himself, the work brings us together beyond the screens and enriches the performing arts with a compelling theatrical narrative.

True to his belief in the unifying power of technology and a desire to escape imposed lockdowns, he created Reminiscencia in 2020. This work was named the best work of online theatre by the Chilean Arc Critics Circle. The artist offered the piece for free to hundreds of viewers. One of them, an 83-year-old surgeon specialising in gender-affirming treatments, inspired him to write a new biographical documentary essay.