Solace is a Weeping River is an essay by Monica Hirano on the multifaceted process involved in mourning. The work visits the shadows, feelings, reasonings and directions involved in this painful part of any human being’s life. It is the result of a collective sharing of thoughts that celebrate the life of the one who departs and mourns the posthumous existence of the one that remains alive. It is also a reflection that there is more to grief than mourning, it is an attempt of decodifying all impressions of this unique event. It is an understanding that passing encompasses hopelessness and hope in almost proportional measures.
"In a culture that denies death, it is necessary to reflect on the person that one becomes after a relevant loss. Parting is also a day of meeting. I met with the most intimate fears of not knowing what to do or who be without you. I became the mother, the brother, the widow, the son, the lover and the grandchild of an immaterial being" – extract from the artwork.
Solace is a Weeping River is the result of an investigation done during a 3-month residency with BorderLand Residencies and AtelierHaus Eupen. Monica Hirano interviewed citizens of Eupen, and together with her own experience, created a narrative on death and its surroundings.
Directed by Monica Hirano. Cinematography by Luigi Pirisi. Sound design and original soundtrack by Thomas Berti. Part of Monica Hirano's solo exhibition Sobre Perecer, at PF Gallery, Brazil.