Air de repos (Breathwork)

Collective Exhibition at the CAPC Museum of Contemporary Art of Bordeaux

• From November 15, 2024, to May 4, 2025
• Museum Nave
• Curator: Cédric Fauq
• Opening: Thursday, November 14, 7 p.m.

The collective exhibition Air de repos (Breathwork) aims to evoke a renewed awareness of what it means to breathe, not only on an individual level but also collectively. At a time when the world is experiencing a climate of widespread asphyxiation, Air de repos (Breathwork) seeks to transform the museum into a temporary respiratory assistance machine.

In recent years, the convergence of political, ecological, and public health phenomena has led us to perceive the simple act of breathing as a privilege. We have observed and analyzed the differentiated impact of air pollution based on social origins, the ease of blocking the airways of certain populations under the pretext of maintaining order ("I Can't Breathe"), and the potential of air to become a threat due to viruses and other harmful agents it may contain.

In a museum, air is a subject in its own right. Presenting and conserving artworks require particular control and management of air because art needs stable and neutral air to endure. This implies that the museum contains its own air, different from that of the outside world. Air de repos (Breathwork) questions whether it is possible to breathe differently in the museum.

To envision the CAPC as a rest area, the exhibition is built around the idea of the "museum without images." This approach combats retinal fatigue and the centrality of the eye in museums, allowing images to rest. Composed mainly of installations, ready-mades, and sound works, the invited artists share the idea that sculpture breathes.

With: Kobby Adi, Pierre Allain, Alvaro Barrington, Celeste Burlina, Rhea Dillon, Adam Farah-Saad, Valérian Goalec, Eva Gold, Jan S. Hansen, Steffani Jemison, Alexandre Khondji, Sin Wai Kin & Sophia Al-Maria, Carolyn Lazard, Brianna Leatherbury, Guillaume Maraud, Park McArthur, Jack O’Brien, Olu Ogunnaike, Ima-Abasi Okon, Russell Perkins, Lea Porsager, Cameron Rowland, Cally Spooner, Jesse Stecklow, Sung Tieu, Jessica Vaughn, Abbas Zahedi.

Exhibition Curator: Cedric Fauq