In 2007, on the occasion of an exhibition at Maison Pelgrims on the theme of water, Ariane Bosquet produced a series of works dedicated to the phenomenon of ‘desertification’ around the world. The work consisted of a group of 26 panels, each measuring 30 x 30 cm, evoking arid, parched lands dominated by muted tones of orange sand, ochre, beige and grey.

Now, as part of the ‘Géomorphoses’ series, the artist has ‘revised’ these panels from 2007. She is breathing new life into them; each panel is linked by an artefact drawn from the series that followed ‘Desertification’. Pieces of rusted sheet metal and wire mesh, fossilised plant imprints soaked in various juices, patchworks of plant fibres and driftwood exude a raw, elemental quality that ‘blends’ with the 2007 panels, like a slow, organic process of decomposition.

Twenty years on, desertification speaks to us clearly and urgently. More than ever before: ‘blue gold’ lies at the origin of life and is a symbol of purification.

© Ariane Bosquet 2025