The Boghossian Foundation presents Fire, an exhibition that brings together around fifty modern and contemporary artists from diverse backgrounds around the captivating theme of fire.
Through a wide range of media, including sculpture, painting, installation, photography, video, or tapestry, the works explore the many facets of fire: flame, candlelight, electricity, smoke… From the comforting hearth to grey ashes, from fleeting sparks to blazing infernos, each creation reflects upon the symbolic, physical, and sensory power of this universal element.
From humanity’s earliest beginnings, fire has both fascinated and frightened. Present in every culture, it permeates myths, rituals, and festivities – from medieval celebrations to major contemporary ceremonies such as Burning Man.
Ambivalent by nature, fire embodies both life and destruction. From the Book of Genesis / Since the beginning, fire has shone in paradise, while it also burns in hell. As the gentle, comforting flame of the hearth, it heals, illuminates, and warms. Yet it is also wildfire, devastation, and burn — conjuring an imaginary steeped in fear and violence. This duality has long inspired artists, who explore the tension between protective warmth and uncontrollable danger.
What is fire? Fire is a substance that we associate as much with emptiness as with fullness. It is transformation. The exhibition explores this enigma by delving into its many forms: natural, domestic, and symbolic.
Jean-Michel Alberola, Arman, Bernard Aubertin, Sammy Baloji, Jean Boghossian, Elen Braga, Marcel Broodthaers, Paolo Buggiani, Alberto Burri, Hervé Charles, Ali Cherri, Adrien Cicero, Pascal Convert, Wim Delvoye, Julien des Monstiers, Camille Dufour, Mounir Fatmi, Catherine Gfeller, Raymond Hains, Rémy Hans, Christian Jaccard, Marie Khouri, Jiana Kim, Yves Klein, Jannis Kounellis, Piero Manzoni, Asya Marakulina, Niccolò Masini, Lucian Moriyama, Antoine Moulinard, Nam Tchun-Mo, Sarah Ortmeyer, Cornelia Parker, Claudio Parmiggiani, Otto Piene, Louis-Cyprien Rials, Héloïse Rival, Fabrice Samyn, Stéphane Sautour, Sam Szafran, Antonio Tarsis, Thu Van Tran, Barthélémy Toguo, Joris Van de Moortel, Michiko Van de Velde, Jef Verheyen, Bill Viola, Xie Lei, Lamia Ziadé.
Curators Louma Salamé
