Jonathan Bréchignac / J’HABITE DANS LA PINÈDE / solo show

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Jonathan Bréchignac
J’HABITE DANS LA PINÈDE
Solo show at the STUDIO
29/05 - 20/06/2026
opening Sunday 31/05, 2pm - 7pm

Jonathan Bréchignac presents a project initiated during his residency at Yishu 8 in Beijing in 2024, which was subsequently exhibited at the New Franco-Chinese Institute. Still in development, the project takes various forms. Pine pollen serves as its starting point, through which the artist explores the physical and symbolic dimensions of life. Minimalist paintings (pollen activated with water), ovoid sculptures containing raw pollen, and an olfactory component developed with a perfumer make up the body of work, complemented by herbal teas made from buds. Derived from palynology, pollen—which is extremely resilient—becomes here a medium connecting memory, temporality, and sensory experience.

Jonathan Bréchignac is a multidisciplinary artist born in 1985 in Provence. He is a graduate of ERG Brussels and lives and works in Paris. Bioluminescent algae, iridescent beetles, light refractions, moving stones—his work begins with these natural phenomena that, despite scientific explanations, retain an undiminished power of fascination. His interdisciplinary artistic practice combines sculpture, installation, and painting. The exploration of materials plays a significant role in his works, which borrow codes from the scientific world. By recreating «life» using synthetic materials and employing new technologies, he creates a poetic sense of fascination while questioning the boundary between the natural and the artificial, as well as our era’s relationship with the living. In his work, the invocation of popular myths, scientific theories, and esoteric ideas disturbs perception, blurring the line between fiction and reality. He highlights the limits of our ability to understand the world, revealing the processes through which beliefs emerge. Jonathan Bréchignac is the recipient of the Art of Change Prize 2021, sponsored by Ruinart, which recognizes artists working on environmental themes, as well as the Yishu 8 Prize 2023, supported by Boucheron.