Article Number: 6700
Soft Cover, English / Catalan, Glue Binding, 2011
Oriol Vilanova

They cannot die

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Besides being one of science fiction's top subjects, immortality is one of humanity's most debated issues. "They Cannot Die" by Catalan artist Oriol Vilanova is a possible portrait of how the 20th century dealt with history and fame.

It starts with a fiction written as a theater-essay in which Dalí, Lenin, and Disney enter into a lively argument about immortality in an empty exhibition room, which becomes the fourth voice. Through the discussion of these three icons of mass-culture, empty of any of the spatial or temporal restrictions that so often condition mortals, we are able to reflect on the relations between time and memory.
At the core of this humorous and metaphysical artist's book can be found a facsimile print of a short, 19th-century introductory guide to human taxidermy, along with a visual archive of postcards of museums, which are presented as mausoleums.