Javier Carcel Hidalgo-Saavedra
MEMENTO MORI

Created by Javier Cárcel Hidalgo-Saavedra and Anita Kremm
Performer: Javier Cárcel Hidalgo-Saavedra
Video artist: Anita Kremm
Sound artist: Kymbali Williams
Light design: Rommi Ruttas, Jari Matsi

Memento Mori is a participatory performance that deals with the theme of Death. How do we, as individuals and society, deal with the fact that we will all come to an inevitable end? How does the quality of our presence and our experience of life become affected by the fact that we constantly forget that we will all die?

Memento Mori is an invitation to come and perform your last dance with your own death. A danse macabrewhere prime ministers, Rimi cashiers, vagabonds, CEOs, elders, healthy young athletes, fools and erudites alike join in. Regardless of your status, wealth, or accomplishments in life, death comes equally for everyone.

This piece is born from fear. From the fear of forgetting. From the fear of being at my death-bed and realizing that “when I was alive I saw nothing of life”.

Dance. Dance at last. 
Oh, dance, dance to your last.
Your last breath. Dance.
When Death comes, may it find us alive.

Thanks to: Giacomo Veronesi, Jüri Nael and Imanuel Schipper. Thanks to my dearest love Giuseppe Sassano, and my family for their unconditional support and encouragement. Thanks to the CPPM family, especially Jennifer Bagg for her collaboration. to Anne Türnpu, Madli Pesti, Maris Mihasova, Hannes Hermaküla, Uliana, Mari Meriste, Maiu Rõõmus, Lii Põdra, Pille Sarapik, Tõnu Hiielaid and Nikita Šiškov for their help in the creative process. Thanks to the CPPM amazing guest artists that in some way or another have encouraged and impulsed my research.