He decided to blind himself. It was the prelude to writing *Anteparaíso*. He took some adhesive tape and secured it to his eyelids. He had to keep his eyes open so the acid could take effect.
Chilean poet Raúl Zurita arrived at Santiago's industrial zone dragging a blue plastic jug. He asked for it to be filled. He returned home with the jug full.
He was 30 years old when he decided to carry out this solo art performance. He took a cup and poured in the ammonia he had bought. He had read that even a small amount of ammonia could make his decision—to blind himself—irreversible.
It was March 18, 1980. He wanted to embark on an existential journey that he would later express in his verses.
He closed his eyes instinctively. He regained his sight after receiving medical treatment.
Raúl Zurita has been honored with the National Prize for Literature and the Griffin Lifetime Achievement Award, among other accolades that have established him as one of the great poets of his generation.
Sources: LaTercera, El País, Memoria Chilena, and Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos.
