Respiration - Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris

Respiration

Breathing is the only way to escape the evanescence of life. Without breath, there is no presence, no life. In order for her objects to have meaning, Karen Chekerdjian imbues herself with use and form.

"My objects must make obvious and impose their presence, as if they have always been part of our daily lives They appeal to the collective consciousness, allowing them to persist. I do not want my creations to become out-dated."

Her approach draws as much from art as from anthropology.

"Design for me is a political and social act because it is fundamentally linked to gesture, to humans. "

Karen Chekerdjian’s intuitive work brings to life a fertile discussion with the IMA’s collection.

"The museum’s wealth is in its narration of a history of the Arab world, founded on three monotheistic religions that have coexisted for millennia. This is the story I choose to tell through the carte blanche I’ve been granted," explains the Beiruti.