In his 150 or so plays, collections of poems, notebooks and stories, Lars Norén plumbed the anxious, dark and sometimes terrifying depths of the human soul, though always with a touch of humour. The play Stilla liv (“Still Life”), written over a period of more than ten years and performed in 2017 at Dramaten, the Royal Theatre in Stockholm, illustrates this perfectly. 90 silent scenes take place in a fictional time somewhere between 1890 and 2015, depicting the constant yet unpredictable humanity that exists in a changing society.
At first, Lars Norén had planned to give this play a different form: that of an exhibition in which the visitor would be immersed, walking from scene to scene in the darkness and becoming just another actor in these silent lives. Lars Norén headed the project with the filmmaker and photographer Bobo Ericzén until Lars’ premature death in 2021. The exhibition was presented at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm in autumn 2022 with the title Stilla liv (Still Life).
Adapted for the Hôtel de Marle, Stilla liv forms the heart of our Lars Norén season. Photos, stills from scenes and stage directions help us to understand his favourite themes as well as his doubts and obsessions. Several events echoing the exhibition will be scheduled in collaboration with theatres—most notably the Comédie-Francaise, which added Lars Norén to its repertoire in 2018 with the play titled Poussière—and L’Arche, the publishing house that publishes Lars Norén’s works in France.
Curator: Bobo Ericzén in collaboration with Nelly Bonner, Lars Norén’s daughter and heir to his estate.
In collaboration with Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, La Comédie-Française and L’Arche.
With support from the Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet).
Useful information
Admission free. Prior booking not required.