Pierre Huyghe Transforms Fondation Beyeler Into 'Soulscape' Exhibition

Artist Pierre Huyghe opened his new exhibition, "Fictions," at Fondation Beyeler on an unspecified date, transforming the Swiss museum into a "soulscape" that explores the boundaries between the metaphysical and fictional, the living and the dead, and the human and non-human. The exhibition features a variety of works, including installations with living organisms like ants spilling from wall apertures, masked figures, and new film and sound-based pieces. A central element is "Apnea," an artificial breathing organ designed to create a common respiratory ground for all elements within the exhibition. Huyghe describes "Apnea" as a key piece that threads the diverse components of the show together.

Among the featured works is "Liminals," Huyghe's most recent film, which he characterizes as an "incessant dance of matter" where "every moment is a maybe." Another installation, "Alchima," is presented as a breathing, humming "larval ancestor" of the human unconscious, positioned between doorways. The piece "Light Dust" involves a plume of colored dust that becomes immortalized in the air, spreading across surfaces and seemingly freezing time and light. These works are part of Huyghe's broader artistic practice, which he states uses "fictions" as vehicles to access "other possible worlds" and a "counterfactual imagination."

The exhibition is designed to be an immersive experience, with each room functioning as a portal into an alternate dimension that shifts in voices, states, and modalities. Huyghe encourages visitors to embrace the "in-between" as they navigate the labyrinthine presentation. The artist's approach challenges conventional notions of art by incorporating living elements and exploring complex philosophical themes. The exhibition is currently on view at Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland, and will run until September 13.