IRA SACHS
INVITES
CHLOE ARIDJIS
TO DO A MAGIC LANTERN SHOW
INVITES
CHLOE ARIDJIS
TO DO A MAGIC LANTERN SHOW
Monday,
November 16, 2026
6:30pm
Doors
7pm
Event begins
Limited capacity
November 16, 2026
6:30pm
Doors
7pm
Event begins
Limited capacity
The filmmaker Ira Sachs just finished reading Chloe Aridjis' new book, which is called The Shadow of the Object.
“Chloe is a writer of profound originality,” he says. “She’s a poet who writes prose, a magician of words who remains ever grounded in the real and the actual. With The Shadow of the Object, she has written one of the most luminous and intimate novels I have read in years, managing to transform a reader’s perception through words much as the magic lanterns at the story’s center do to illusions through light.”
The novel tells the story of Flora, who finds herself having a series of dreamlike conversations with a German collector named Wilhelmina in the halls of a hospital in Mexico City. She thinks she has made a fascinating new friend but things take an unexpected turn. Flora returns to her life in London, entrusted with a mission, and deeply haunted by the encounter in Mexico.
“Chloe is a writer of profound originality,” he says. “She’s a poet who writes prose, a magician of words who remains ever grounded in the real and the actual. With The Shadow of the Object, she has written one of the most luminous and intimate novels I have read in years, managing to transform a reader’s perception through words much as the magic lanterns at the story’s center do to illusions through light.”
The novel tells the story of Flora, who finds herself having a series of dreamlike conversations with a German collector named Wilhelmina in the halls of a hospital in Mexico City. She thinks she has made a fascinating new friend but things take an unexpected turn. Flora returns to her life in London, entrusted with a mission, and deeply haunted by the encounter in Mexico.
Ira sits down with Chloe to talk about the book.
And since magic lanterns are at the center of it, Chloe also performs her magic lantern show.
“For nearly four centuries the magic lantern — a tin or wooden box with a chimney, two lenses, and a light source— animated the walls of homes and theatres, first as a device for conjuring demons and later as a form of popular entertainment,” she explains.
“Few people now will have seen a magic lantern show. My aim is to offer audiences a range of moods this wonderful instrument can evoke, from the wistful and poetic to the jovial. Themes include the passage of time, ghosts and the supernatural, travel (physical and metaphorical), and the natural world (fantastical creatures and natural phenomena). As the spectacle progresses, its focus slowly moves away from individual stories into a wider vision of the cosmos."
She uses the magic lantern to weave narratives and stories with long forgotten images and events, accompanied by Cornelius Loy (on theremin) and by Joel Schlemowitz (on lantern).
Co-presented with semiotext(e)
And since magic lanterns are at the center of it, Chloe also performs her magic lantern show.
“For nearly four centuries the magic lantern — a tin or wooden box with a chimney, two lenses, and a light source— animated the walls of homes and theatres, first as a device for conjuring demons and later as a form of popular entertainment,” she explains.
“Few people now will have seen a magic lantern show. My aim is to offer audiences a range of moods this wonderful instrument can evoke, from the wistful and poetic to the jovial. Themes include the passage of time, ghosts and the supernatural, travel (physical and metaphorical), and the natural world (fantastical creatures and natural phenomena). As the spectacle progresses, its focus slowly moves away from individual stories into a wider vision of the cosmos."
She uses the magic lantern to weave narratives and stories with long forgotten images and events, accompanied by Cornelius Loy (on theremin) and by Joel Schlemowitz (on lantern).
Co-presented with semiotext(e)
A slide from the Swedenborg Society archive
Cornelius Loy is a theremin player. He has worked with artists Joey Arias, Kembra Pfahler, Marky Ramone and Christeene and has performed at dozens of spaces including Cocorosie, Greenwood Cemetery and the New York Public Library. He recently scored a musical in Scotland called "Falling in love with Mr.Dellamort." He lives in New York.
Joel Schlemowitz is an experimental filmmaker who works with 16mm film, shadowplay, magic lanterns, and stereographic media. He is the author of Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture Camera: An Introductory Guide for Artists and Filmmakers (Focal Press/Routledge) and his first feature film, 78rpm, is an experimental documentary about the gramophone. He teaches at The New School and lives in Brooklyn.
Joel Schlemowitz is an experimental filmmaker who works with 16mm film, shadowplay, magic lanterns, and stereographic media. He is the author of Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture Camera: An Introductory Guide for Artists and Filmmakers (Focal Press/Routledge) and his first feature film, 78rpm, is an experimental documentary about the gramophone. He teaches at The New School and lives in Brooklyn.
Due to the age and character of the building, the space is not optimized for ADA accessibility and is located up a single flight of 20 stairs with handrails. If you have questions about access, please contact us in advance of the event, and we will make every effort to accommodate you.
