Through different art pieces such as aluminium sculptures paintings and ceramic works, Mathieu Lehanneur explores the state of the planet, taking into consideration the fragility and transience of human life, accompanied by an acknowledgement of the long-term damage done to the environment by climate change.
‘In my work, as a designer, artist, or architect, and regardless of whether I’m producing a one-off or mass-produced piece, I want each piece to speak uniquely,’
Mathieu Lehanneur.
With four installations — State of the World, 50 seas, Live/Leave, and How Deep is Time, the artist tries to turn information into emotion. Scientific and statistical data were translated into design and art pieces, resorting to these disciplines to foster a connection between data, the planet, and the environment.
Each installation is based on scientific data and statistics provided by a variety of sources, including the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and satellite-generated photographs commissioned specifically for the project. Lehanneur then uses design as a discipline to provide an interaction with the world and the environment.
The Inventory of Life includes the installations:
State of the World: a large-scale installation featuring a series of sculptures in anodised aluminium that represent the evolution and history of the human population is over 150 countries. Every sculpture is a visual record of a country – reflecting its demographic, its birth rate, life expectancy and history. Using a three-dimensional form, Lehanneur has created a dimensional way for the viewer to understand the data quickly and provide an opportunity to see ourselves as part of a bigger story.
50 Seas: reconstructs through a hanging series of round sculptures in enamelled ceramic the infinite variations and subtleties of hues and shades of blues and greens of the seas and oceans around the globe. Using satellite photographs, 50 different seas around the world are recorded in this series, highlighting the diversity and nuances of watercolour depending on the geographical position of the oceans that cover the earth. A selection from this collection will be exhibited in Triennale.
How Deep is Time: represents, through a luminous glass filament suspended from the ceiling, a visual projection and prognostic of changing sea levels. As the future is unknown, and estimates vary, Lehanneur crystallises in this work the different sea level forecasts of the future, all slightly different, but equally critical for humanity.
Live/Leave is a record of the state of our mental health through data showcasing suicide rates around the world. Highlighting individual choices, the installation could be interpreted as the state of happiness around the globe. Providing a visual tool, a snapshot, for visitors to see the world as it currently stands, it lays bare the dramatic effect depression has on our wellbeing and the estimated suicide rates in represented countries.
50 Seas: reconstructs through a hanging series of round sculptures in enamelled ceramic the infinite variations and subtleties of hues and shades of blues and greens of the seas and oceans around the globe. Using satellite photographs, 50 different seas around the world are recorded in this series, highlighting the diversity and nuances of watercolour depending on the geographical position of the oceans that cover the earth. A selection from this collection will be exhibited in Triennale.
How Deep is Time: represents, through a luminous glass filament suspended from the ceiling, a visual projection and prognostic of changing sea levels. As the future is unknown, and estimates vary, Lehanneur crystallises in this work the different sea level forecasts of the future, all slightly different, but equally critical for humanity.
Live/Leave is a record of the state of our mental health through data showcasing suicide rates around the world. Highlighting individual choices, the installation could be interpreted as the state of happiness around the globe. Providing a visual tool, a snapshot, for visitors to see the world as it currently stands, it lays bare the dramatic effect depression has on our wellbeing and the estimated suicide rates in represented countries.
