Nature morte - la vida plenamente vivida

Some of us get to live a long life, some a shorter one – and yet maybe a full one. In my installation, the withering flower represents both an elderly person and a person who is worn away by an illness. I want to make the beauty that lies in these people visible.

All the photographed flowers have lived in our home for a while. For me, every flower is a testament to the Creator's marvellous creation. Grateful for that, I wanted to honour each flower: I photographed the flower before setting it down into the cycle of decomposition. I "immortalised" the flower in the photo. The dark background of the images emphasises not only the uniqueness and loneliness of each flower or each bouquet, but also its passage towards transience. The images continue the vanitas- tradition of painting as they talk about the brevity of life, the futility of collecting earthly riches and the transience of beauty. On the other hand, death can be seen as beautiful – it is a part of the cycle of life.

I designed my installation for the Casa Velazquez exhibition space because the building is beautiful – even though the oldest in Santiago de Cuba. My installation is also my "bouquet of thanks" to the museum staff.