A dialogue between the lived experience of exiles and migrants and the work of Rubens entitled La Chute d'enfer des damnés: this is the object of this book that will be presented by the artist.

Lecture - Presentation of the book Portraits d'Exil by Catherine Van Den Steen and Béatrice Toulon, in the presence of the artist (Buchet Chastel, 2022).
« While working on the series of portraits I wanted to inscribe in an inverted and luminous interpretation of the movement of Rubens' The Fall of Hell of the Damned, I met people in exile and I found that what they told me was so rich that I felt that I was going to lose something from this exchange.
From there was born the desire to make this book by associating Béatrice Toulon, a friend who has a great experience as a journalist, to whom I offered to meet my interlocutors to record their stories.
We wanted to give those who want to know more access to these nuggets. Because what these men and women who have been through incredible things are saying are nuggets of life. They are there, standing in front of us and coming to meet us… »

• Catherine Van den Steen