Nosbaum Reding Gallery, Luxembourg presents ‘Smoke Signals’, a captivating new exhibition by renowned multi-media artist Jean Boghossian.
This is Boghossian’s debut at the gallery, and this new body of work explores the theme of communication using the ancient concept of smoke signals, an early form of communication used throughout history by ancient cultures to warn of impending danger – and an elemental force that transcends time.
Historically, smoke signals were employed by such diverse cultures as Native American tribes and ancient Greeks for long-distance communication, serving as a primitive yet effective means of conveying information, or warnings, over vast distances. Using smoke signals as a metaphor, Boghossian’s exhibition explores this universal human need to connect and inform during a volatile era of history in which the ‘message’ is all too lost.
“I hold the belief that art is the supreme instrument for dialogue and the desire to connect with the world, which opens paths to possible self-transformations, allowing for an understanding of others.” – Jean Boghossian
The exhibition places Boghossian’s work within an expanded historical art framework, highlighting the symbolic, aesthetic, and conceptual dimensions smoke embodies in artistic practices across different eras and cultures.
From Wolfgang Paalen’s innovative use of smoke to the unique imprints created by Yves Klein, it demonstrates how Boghossian’s work aligns with this legacy, enriching the history of smoke as an artistic medium. This exhibition explores the evolution of abstraction in Boghossian’s creations, a more lyrical evolution and a deconstruction by fire or pigment.
Boghossian’s body of work also engages in dialogue with artistic movements that have influenced modern art, paying tribute to the contributions of Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and the gestural techniques of Art Informel. The influences of these currents manifest in the smoky contours and spontaneous eruptions of colour and form that define Boghossian’s works.
His nuanced approach to repetition marks a central aspect of the exhibition. While it may appear to deviate from the concept of repetition, the works presented testify to a sophisticated exploration of the theme. Here, repetition transforms into a platform for variation, where recurring forms and motifs are explored with subtle differences, each variation enriching a broader discourse on the dynamics of change and continuity in art and communication.
The artworks range from clearly defined smoke forms to abstract, smoky cityscapes, representing the shift in how societies communicate – from direct messages to nuanced and layered dialogues. These transitions parallel the evolution of smoke signals across cultures, shifting from simple alerts to complex messages with multiple meanings.
‘Smoke Signals‘ holds an allegorical mirror up to our present, highlighting the challenges of communication in a world, riven with divides, wars, the turmoil caused by the climate crisis, Fake News and AI, in which messages are prone to distortion and misinterpretation, and the context in which they are received can alter their meaning entirely.
Boghossian’s own uprooted personal journey is a focal point in the exhibition: from Aleppo through the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide to Beirut and finally settling in Belgium, the artist’s work reflects themes of displacement, a quest for connection, and complex narratives of identity and survival.
Like his other boundary-pushing pieces, ‘Smoke Signals’ serves as a reflection and distillation of history – particularly his own family’s experiences of wars, genocide, and displacement. Boghossian’s grandfather’s escape to Syria from the Armenian massacre during World War One deeply influenced his artistic perspective. Born in 1949 in Aleppo, he initially worked in his family’s jewellery business while studying Economics and Sociology in Beirut. The Lebanese Civil War in 1975 led him to Belgium, and after enrolling in the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels in 1988 he began exploring the use of fire in his creations, after 14 years of experimentation, having previously used blowtorches to make jewellery. It has become a distinctive hallmark of his style.
With his latest exhibition, viewers are invited to explore the nuances of communication, the beauty of transient messages, and the continuous challenge of finding clarity amidst the complexities of our societies.
‘Smoke Signals’ is running now and through until 27 April at the Nosbaum Reding Gallery, Luxembourg.
