Exhibition of images, books and artifacts by Nicanor Parra

Exhibition of images, books and artifacts by Nicanor Parra

• 5th Floor, Nicanor Parra Library, UDP, Vergara 324, Santiago.
• Every Thursday – 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Visit by prior registration at [email protected].

“Nicanor Parra is not just a figure, from a strictly literary point of view. “Nicanor Parra is, above all, a figure of human resistance (…) who does not forget that living is always a strictly individual task. Parra is the individual par excellence. The paradigmatic individual, the one who knows that (…) one must be allergic to all forms of idolatry,” commented Carlos Peña, rector of the Diego Portales University at “Parra íntimo”, a meeting held at the Diego Portales University to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the birth of Nicanor Parra.

The event in honor of the former “ghost director” of the School of Creative Literature, distinguished author of UDP Editions and Professor Emeritus (2003) of the university, consisted of a discussion and the inauguration of the exhibition “Parra íntimo,” which brings together a series of books, photographs and artifacts by the poet. It was attended by his family and with the opening words of the rector of the university, who highlighted the collective subjectivity present in Parra’s poetry, pointing out that the poet’s work not only brings poetry closer to the language of the street, but also addresses fundamental questions regarding the human condition.

The discussion was moderated by Alejandro Martínez, director of the UDP Archives Program, and included the participation of Rafael Gumucio, academic at the UDP School of Creative Literature; Matías Rivas, director of UDP Editions; Rodrigo Rojas B., academic at the UDP School of Creative Literature; Zenaida Suárez, academic at the Universidad de los Andes; and Patricio Fernández, director of Democracia UDP.

During the discussion, the panelists talked about their connection with the National Literature Prize winner and shared various anecdotes about the author. Along with this, they delved into the idea of ​​antipoetry, commented on part of the author’s creative process and highlighted the poet’s work regarding the popular approach to Shakespeare’s work.

“Parra concludes that to be a poet one must have a cosmology (…), a vision of the world, and he proposes it,” said Patricio Fernández. For his part, Rafael Gumucio commented: “For me, Nicanor Parra is a way of thinking about the world after the fall of the great narratives.”
Zenaida Suárez also emphasized the eco-poetry present in Parra’s work, while Rodrigo Rojas B. remembered the poet as a curious, supportive figure and as an interlocutor capable of carrying out light and deep conversations at the same time. Matías Rivas also commented that the author always had the power to exert synthesis, which he developed throughout his work. On the occasion, the editor also recalled “the unforgettable nature of his appearances.”