Life Fragments
Exhibition:
June 13 to August 9, 2025
Artist:
Aboubakar Fofana
Aboubakar Fofana, «Les arbres à bleu», 2012, cotton sheets, metal pedestal, pvc tubes, cotton fruits, sand, dimensions variable © The Artist, photo by François Goudier
Aboubakar Fofana, «Africa blessing (No. 5)», 2017, print on Fine Art German Etching Paper 310 g, 40 x 53.3 cm © The Artist, photo by Aboubakar Fofana
Pascal Robert Gallery takes pride in unveiling its second exhibition within the vibrant heart of Zurich’s Gallery District – an event that transcends mere institutional presentation to serve as a daring foray into the deep, uncharted waters of contemporary artistic exploration.Aboubakar Fofana’s «Life Fragments» not only signifies a milestone for the gallery but also emerges as a potent celebration of the often underappreciated yet omnipresent contributions of those who shape, challenge, and redefine the ongoing cultural dialogue within the art world.
This exhibition, featuring the works of Malian-born artist Aboubakar Fofana, promises to be a radical, multidimensional interrogation of experimental themes – an artistic odyssey that boldly tears through the corridors dividing past and present, forging a space where healing, innovation, and reflection converge. Fofana’s practice demands that viewers question the very foundations of conventional aesthetics, utilizing a language steeped in the mythic and the legitimating – rooted in the legends and legacies that have long sustained the collective memory of art. With an unwavering focus on sound, materiality, and spirituality, the show extends an invitation to shatter familiar horizons and embrace a collective openness – an arena where new sources of inspiration beckon, hidden within the liminal spaces beyond tradition.
Driven by an unrelenting commitment to the unknown and the unorthodox, Pascal Robert Gallery champions artists who, whether emerging or established, carve out voices that challenge complacency. These creators deliberately transcend the boundaries of convention, venturing into the shadowed, often tabooed realms of the mind, body, and cultural identity – pioneers forging a new epoch of artistic rebellion. Their works form a visceral symphony of dynamism, discourse, and profound reflection – an impassioned collective force destined to unsettle and elevate the global art community.
Complementing Fofana’s visionary works, the gallery further curates select masterpieces from between 1860 and 1940 – testaments to an era marked by ruptures and incandescent sparks of innovation, no less revolutionary in their transformative power than the contemporary practices they illuminate. These historical fragments serve as a clarion call, revealing how rebellion against tradition has always driven art’s most radical breakthroughs.
At the heart of this exhibition lies Fofana’s «Life Fragments», an evocative homage to unbounded hope, history, and the human spirit. It beckons viewers not merely to witness the evolution of artistic expression but to participate in forging new dialogues – dialogues capable of shaping the very contours of future modernity. Here, art is celebrated not merely as a display but as an eternal, provocative challenge: an ongoing struggle between tradition and innovation, seduction and provocation, past, present, and an uncertain, yet exhilarating future. In this space, art transforms into an act of rebellion and renewal – an unceasing odyssey into the ever-emerging horizons of human creativity.
Aboubakar Fofana, «Untitled», exhibition catalogue «Earth and Leaves / Terre et Feuilles», 2020 © The Artist, photo by François Goudier
Aboubakar Fofana
Born in 1967, lives and works in Malian and Paris.
Aboubakar Fofana is a Malian artist, designer, and master indigo dyer whose practice bridges traditional craft and contemporary conceptual art. Deeply rooted in the spiritual and material heritage of West Africa, Fofana’s work centers on the revival of ancient dyeing techniques, particularly those using fermented natural indigo. His artistic vision is inseparable from his mission: to preserve, honor, and evolve ancestral knowledge systems through a transformative dialogue with the natural world.
Born in Mali and raised in France, Fofana’s dual cultural heritage informs a practice that is both global and profoundly local. After training as a calligrapher and graphic designer in Paris, he began to explore the alchemical processes of indigo dyeing – a journey that led him back to Mali in search of the nearly lost techniques of his ancestors. Through years of study and experimentation, Fofana developed a distinctive approach that merges age-old methods with contemporary aesthetics, resulting in deeply meditative works that resonate across disciplines.
His art takes many forms: textile installations, hand-dyed garments, sculptural objects, and immersive environments, all of which reflect his reverence for natural materials and ecological cycles. The intensity and subtlety of his indigo hues – ranging from deep midnight blues to the softest sky tones – are achieved through a labor-intensive process of fermentation and layering that becomes a metaphor for patience, ritual, and spiritual renewal.
Fofana’s work is as much about process as it is about product. His studio practice is intertwined with sustainable agriculture, regenerative farming, and the ethical sourcing of materials. He works closely with communities in Mali to revive local economies and reestablish connections between art, land, and culture.
Exhibited at institutions such as the British Museum, the Smithsonian, and the Hayward Gallery, Fofana’s installations often function as sanctuaries – quiet, sensorial spaces that invite reflection on impermanence, ancestry, and the sacredness of nature. Through indigo, he weaves stories of resilience and rebirth, carrying forward traditions that speak to both the fragility and strength of cultural memory.