La Prairie unveils an installation at Art Basel in Hong Kong based on a film by Swiss artist Julian Charrière, a work as illuminating as the frozen landscapes in which it unfolds
La Prairie Focus
Set in some of the world’s most isolated and harsh climes, where snow lies deep and daylight is scarce, the latest cinematic work by intrepid Swiss artist Julian Charrière, Light upon an Imaginary Space, is driven by a highly adventurous curiosity. Charrière sheds light on the changing perception of these fascinating places from untameable wildernesses to fragile ecosystems.
The artist used two drones that hovered over the ice and snow by night—one equipped with a camera, the other with a spotlight. As the camera moved in and out of the field of light, a fascinating story unfolded about these isolated, rarely experienced locales.
“Filming primarily at night, the landscape transformed into both actor and stage the moment it was illuminated by the rays of the drone’s spotlight,” says Charrière, whose works have been exhibited in museums and institutions worldwide, including the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Centre culturel suisse in Paris, and at the Venice Biennale. “The narrative that emerges is that, without light, there is no knowledge of the landscape. Indeed, there is no landscape.”
An illuminating installation featuring Charrière’s work will be unveiled at Art Basel in Hong Kong this month as part of Swiss skincare brand La Prairie’s continuing partnership with the world’s premier modern and contemporary art fair.
