Dédalo - Exponatale 2012

Pablo Patrucco

I have a friend that upholds a rather controversial theory: “No one is able to love, all the persons have the same biological needs of reproduction and that’s it”. I still remember our discussions. We began to stray, then, into a question of whether or not love was a simple biological need or something more wondrous and uncanny. To him, love was a lie, the merest trifle by comparison with biology or the will of the body, as he so aptly put it. This point did sit festering in the back of my mind, though. While I was not prepared, on initial hearing, to acknowledge there might be any iota of truth in my friend’s assertion, I found myself coming back to the point over and over, much in the same way you might find your tongue constantly probing a loose tooth, no matter how painful. Was it possible? Was it possible that love was just a lunatic creation that writers have perpetuated throughout the ages, from the dawn of time? I recall those words, that sometimes the things that may or may not be truth, are the things that a man needs to believe in the most. And therein lies the ultimate test.

Pablo Patrucco

I would like to think that to fall in love with someone means that you are not only admiring a body, but a soul, a mind and a heart. Everything combined, for a person is a whole, not only skin or hair. Sure, some people have their way with a gorgeous body and that’s it. But I do not accept that a relationship could be possible with a person that only has a good body, a good surface. And as for love at first sight, I guess it could be possible provided that you fall in love for more than one reason. I found a very enlightening phrase in Constantino Carvallo’s book: “For a long time now I don’t believe in reasons. Why we do the things we do?, how do we choose the things we choose? One can search in successive phases the reasons of one’s acts and find, many years later, new explanations that will answer the never ending question of why, why did you take that decision, why did you do that? Why did I study philosophy? What am I doing in this place? What forces me to do what I do? Why do I commit myself with something that is not interesting for others? Why am I like this?, who silences me when I want to speak and, sometimes, who speaks when I am hearing my voice? These are interrogations not worthy of a place in the great gold book of philosophy; but to me are a mystery, the mystery of life itself and the search of that interior place where decisions are taken. Who rules in men? Reason? Emotions? The key question is Why. Men are influenced by sometimes incomprehensible factors. These incomprehension is full of reasons, and many believe in those reasons with conviction, and they proclaim them so much that they end up believing in them. But seduction barely gives you motives, never reasons. Causes of movement. Like some dark eyes, a certain grace in the way of walking, or a warmness in the voice can be the motive of love. We don’t know”.

When we really like someone, we have thousand of details in our mind, small things, but essential things. At first we might admire the other person’s body, but then we learn to love and cherish all these details. No one in the world could persuade you in admiring qualities that are not there. Makes one think, doesn’t it?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Ayer se realizó el evento anual más importante de Dédalo, la XVII Exponatale. Quedé fascinado por la enorme creatividad de todos los artistas y diseñadores que han elaborado un sinfín de objetos preciosos justo a tiempo para la temporada navideña. 

Apenas llegué me encontré con Rossella Di Paolo, importantísima poeta peruana que fue mi profesora en la PUCP. Nos quedamos conversando un rato, la última vez que la vi fue en Lucía de la Puente, y antes de eso en el salón de clases de la facultad de literatura, en el ya lejano 2008.

Después me encontré con Louise Böttcher, la mamá de Joshua, uno de mis mejores amigos del colegio. Nos quedamos hablando un buen rato, recordando las épocas en las que todavía Joshua y yo estábamos en el colegio. No veía a Louise desde el 2011, porque Joshua estuvo todo un año en Cerro de Pasco haciendo su SERUM (Servicio Rural y Urbano Marginal de Salud). En un par de semanas es cumpleaños de Joshua así que ahí nos veremos nuevamente.

my drawing / mi dibujo

Durante la noche saludé a muchos de los visitantes asiduos de Dédalo, pero fue especialmente gratificante encontrarme con Arturo José Valdés Hamann, uno de mis grandes amigos que, según me cuenta, acaba de tener una hija. Qué duro debe ser asumir la paternidad a los 25 años, pero Arturo José se veía feliz a pesar de los retos que lo esperan. 

Luego de tomarme un vodka tonic, un vodka con jugo de naranja y un maracuyá sour (que estaba tan delicioso como los que hago yo), saludé a Alonso Cueto, a Pepe Tudela (gerente de programación de Plus TV a quien conocí en el canal), a Fernando Carvallo, a Sebastián Lores, a Eduardo Lores, a María Elena Fernández. Y quedé encantado con el Cuarteto Morella, un grupo de chicos de 17 años del colegio Pestalozzi que se encargaron de hacer de la música el punto central de esta Exponatale. Al final felicité a Pablo Alayza y a Kuno Vollprecht por tanta buena música.