Julius von Bismarck Shahidlar 1, 2020

The sculpture belongs to a series inspired by ‘eternal flames’ emblematic of historical monuments and memorials. They function as models of constructed sites of collective memory worldwide. The original bronze or stone sculptures are duplicated in fired ceramics; the blazing flames are transformed into flickering LEDs.

The sculptures are related to von Bismarck's body of work Fire with Fire (2018-2021) which stems from the artist's continuous quest to explore the aesthetics of nature’s calamitous force. Including film, photography and sculpture, Fire with Fire exposes unseen images of fire, which von Bismarck captured during various expeditions to forest fire sites in Germany, the Arctic Circle in Sweden, and across California. The year 2018 being determined by the most destructive wildfires since the beginning of records, a typical aesthetic of calamity became ubiquitous in the media. This led Julius von Bismarck to question how to see beyond this simplified, politicized perspective on wildfires and natural catastrophes in general.