Champaca and Reliable Copy present the first public programme around the recently launched book ‘Still Life -mirrors and windows-’ by Mario Santanilla. The event will consist of a reading by the author of selected sections from the book, followed by a moderated discussion between the author and the audience.

Book Description:

The first Apollo moon landing. Jumbo, the elephant. The films of Chris Marker. The belly buttons of Adam and Eve. The story of the Utah teapot. The gaze of thermal vision. The virtual gamespace of ‘Journey’. The downloadable NASA 3D archive. The romantic landscapes of the American west. Toy Story and The Little Mermaid. The first video uploaded on YouTube. The nature of disguise. Moving across personal anecdotes, moments in history, cultural memory, and scientific did-you-knows, Still Life -mirrors and windows- takes the reader on a virtual journey across a range of sights and sites. At once factual and speculative, poetic and analytical, Still Life is a window that reflects and a mirror that pierces through - a gentle companion to our endless search for the limits of understanding.

Find the book on Champaca's website, www.champaca.in.

Author Bio:

Mario Santanilla is an artist whose practice explores the optics of being. Guided by research on architecture, light-based technologies, and storytelling, he explores how these devices condition behavior and represent social realities. Santanilla has previously participated in ‘March Project’ at Sharjah Art Foundation (Sharjah, 2019), ‘Home Workspace Programme’ at Ashkal Alwan (Beirut, 2017–2018), and ‘Escuela Flora’ at Flora ars+natura (Bogotá, 2016). He holds a BFA from the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, (Bogotá, 2015). ‘Still Life -mirrors and windows-‘ is his first book (Reliable Copy, 2020).

Reliable Copy is an independent, non-profit publishing house dedicated to the realisation and circulation of works, projects, and writing by artists. Apart from its publishing activities, Reliable Copy also undertakes long-term research projects, organises workshops, hosts events, and will soon curate exhibitions. Reliable Copy is based in Bangalore, and was founded in 2018.

Champaca is an independent, women-run bookstore, children's library and cafe. We bring diverse stories and perspectives for our readers and in our children’s library through our books and events. And we run a small cafe for our community to spend a quiet few hours with a book and a hearty meal. We are located in Bangalore, India, and have an online store that ships across India.