Denis SANGLARD: the Pope
Blas Payri, video-making
“Papa in Infernum” is a video art piece that delves into the surrealistic and expressionist realm inspired by the haunting paintings of Francis Bacon, particularly his studies on Velázquez’s portrait of Pope Innocent X. Infused with the myth of Orpheus in Hades, the video unfolds in a world of darkness where butoh dancer Denis Sanglard embodies the Pope, trapped in a compulsive-obsessive cycle of blessing and scratching.
Video maker Blas Payri employs a chiaroscuro lighting technique. Hard side lights cast sharp silhouettes and create intense contrasts, enveloping the scenes in an otherworldly atmosphere. In postproduction, Payri overlays multiple instances of the Pope’s image, at times fragmented across separate parts of the frame, and occasionally self-destructing through subtractive layers. Motion blur and multi-exposure techniques are employed to evoke a palpable trace of movement, adding an ethereal quality to the Pope’s spectral existence.
The accompanying music, an excerpt from Austin Yip’s composition for le Ballet de la Nuit, revolves around Eurydice’s journey into Hades. The haunting soundscape enhances the surreal experience, complementing the visual narrative and drawing viewers deeper into the intricate dance between the Pope’s torment and the mythic underworld.