DON'T GIVE UP

The fleeting nature of time is a subject that has fascinated philosophers, poets and thinkers throughout history. Since the time of Heraclitus, who claimed that “everything flows”, to the depth of Plato’s thought and the melancholic anguish of existence portrayed by Kierkegaard, the ephemeral nature of time has been the object of critical and emotional contemplation.

In our daily life, time is presented as a river that advances inexorably, taking with it moments and experiences. The transience of time can generate within us a sense of urgency, an almost visceral desire to apprehend every moment, to live intensely. However, this search is often tinged with a deep anxiety about loss; the fear that the moments we value will slip through our fingers without having the opportunity to enjoy them fully. In Stoicism, for example, we are taught to accept impermanence and to focus on what remains within our power, on how we choose to live our days. Time, then, becomes a teacher and a reminder that every moment is a unique opportunity that deserves to be contemplated and valued.

On the other hand, the fleeting nature of time also invites us to reflect on memory and the construction of meaning. What we live is not simply a compendium of scattered moments, but a narrative that we shape through reflection and emotional connection. This subjectivity of time leads us to understand that, although seconds and minutes are rigid in their passing, our experience of them can be rich and profound. In the end, the fleeting nature of time reminds us of the importance of mindfulness. In a world that tends to be populated with distractions, the challenge is to learn to be present, to savour the now. While we cannot stop the flow of time, we can choose how we relate to it. Perhaps the paradox of transience does not lie in loss, but in the gift of consciousness: each moment, because of its brevity, has the potential to be a treasure that, when appreciated, becomes eternity. And it is that moment, made eternal, that indelibly marks Pamen Pereira’s already extensive career from her beginnings as an artist, as we can see throughout her artistic production and in the works that shape her exhibition at Galería Artizar.

The poet San Juan de la Cruz, an inescapable reference when seeking to access the work of Pamen Pereira, takes shape through the presence of fire that runs through the poet’s work and finds an implicit and explicit presence in the artist’s works. Fire, in the context of the prophet Elijah, symbolises God’s presence, purification, judgement and revelation, reflecting various facets of the relationship between God and His people through this prophet’s ministry. That flaming fire, which could sometimes border on extinction, is a metaphor that speaks to us of time, of the perseverance necessary to move forward, not to surrender, even in the moments when the forces falter and the purposes that drive us seem meaningless. Our world is very different from that of San Juan de la Cruz, but in reality the human condition seems to have changed very little. The forms and instrumental character of what surrounds us has undergone an undeniable evolution, but the human glories and miseries are practically the same.

We live in an era of instantaneity, where everything happens at a dizzying speed and where uncertainty and volatility are constant. Time is lived as something fleeting and ephemeral, which leads to a sense of sustained urgency. We feel pressured by the clock, trying to do more and more things in less time, which inevitably generates a civilisation dominated by stress and anxiety. This is liquid society, as baptised by Zygmunt Bauman, in which there are chained spaces of accelerated existence, but in which it is practically impossible to establish realistic priorities for life. Still, Pamen Pereira, as the standard bearer for tenacity, invites us to shake ourselves up on the inside, in that hidden geography that has stopped being interesting because it is not visible for the videos or selfies that flood our social media. The title of this exhibition “Don’t give up” challenges us to move forward, not to surrender to the global discouragement of a world that at times crumbles amid so much cruelty, bloodshed and greed. Humanity is able to achieve the highest goals and yet inflict such high doses of suffering on its own species. It is incomprehensible because it defies rational logic, but that is the reality.

Not giving up is a stance, it is a political act full of necessary activism that, in the case of Pamen Pereira, becomes works of art with which she caresses our senses, stimulates our emotions and activates areas of deep understanding. It is time for activation and collectivity, but the main revolution is already taking place within you, almost without you noticing it, without signs from the outside; that change has come and, like the “powerful and redeeming fire” created by Pamen, razes everything we know to the ground.

The battles that are lost are those in which we decide not to fight.

José Luis Pérez Pont