One of the greatest love letters ever written, Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis was the only work that the Irish writer completed during his two-year imprisonment. Now, 125 years after Wilde’s death, MoLI, in partnership with Ebow Digital, is proud to present a new film installation rediscovering this moving and richly layered text – perhaps the most raw and honest version of Wilde available to us, at times deeply philosophical, at times white with rage, at times heartbreakingly tender.
Addressed to Lord Alfred Douglas – or Bosie – whose presence in Wilde’s life was the catalyst for his incarceration for ‘gross indecency’, De Profundis shows a less visible side to Wilde’s writing and personality. Most of what we experience and know of Wilde is his wit and humour, his sharpness, his flamboyance, his virtuosic command of the English language. De Profundis shows us the serious artist, the thinker, the philosopher, the sensitive and profound aesthete that lives in his prose and poetry.
A fresh perspective on Wilde’s brilliant mind and tragic life, MoLI’s De Profundis installation presents key passages of the text through the voices of a contemporary community of LGBTQ+ writers, artists and activists. Here, we are immersed deep in Oscar Wilde’s own psychological struggle, his working through sorrow, his feelings of betrayal, his wide-angled lens on his own condition, his aesthetic and spiritual worldview and, despite everything, his enduring affection for Bosie.
MoLI’s De Profundis includes moving performances from writers such as novelists Naoise Dolan, Declan Toohey, Katherine O’Donnell and Adiba Jaigirdar, poets Jane Clarke and Sonya Mulligan, poet and novelist Seán Hewitt and playwright Sonya Kelly – as well as Irish Times journalist Una Mullally; founder of the Irish Queer Archive, Tonie Walsh; activist Bulelani Mfaco; and psychologist and presenter Paul D’Alton. Over sixty minutes, these twelve performers bring Wilde’s poignant text to life, each offering a distinctive voice and personality to the installation.
Speaking about the new exhibit, MoLI’s CEO/Director, David Cleary, said, “At MoLI, we are always trying to offer our visitors new perspectives on Irish writers and writing. We are delighted to mark 125 years since the death of Oscar Wilde with this beautiful and original take on his prison letter, De Profundis. We can’t wait for visitors to immerse themselves in this fascinating insight into Wilde’s tragic experience, his jaw-dropping gift with language, and his unique outlook on life.”
MoLI enjoys a fruitful partnership with Ebow Digital, with the digital agency sponsoring several digital exhibitions and the museum’s flagship digital archive, RadioMoLI, since 2021. Commenting on this latest venture, David Douglas, Managing Director of Ebow Digital, said: “We are proud to collaborate with MoLI on this celebration of one of Ireland’s most significant writers. MoLI’s work in opening up literature to many audiences resonates so much with our own belief in the power of creativity in the digital medium, and De Profundis will prove to be no exception.”
Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis is now open seven days per week at MoLI on Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green. Plan your visit at moli.ie/visit
