Baptiste Debombourg explores the relationships we establish with everyday objects, shaping his artistic research through a diverse range of media, materials, and techniques—including wood, glass, sculpture, and drawing.
His work weaves together information and materials to uncover repressed, unspoken, or overlooked narratives born from human ambition and ego. He brings together typically disconnected domains, bridging the gap between “high” culture and popular culture. Debombourg’s process often involves repairing walls, furniture, and objects while simultaneously exposing their imperfections, embracing their scars as part of their history.
His artistic language is defined by a sense of monumentality, yet his works remain inherently precarious and fragile. Acting as a “sociologist of the present,” he examines how our environment shapes both the evolution of our bodies and our perception of time. His works consistently carry a dual identity: the immediate, visible form and the deeper, intrinsic layer—the subtext, or rather, the “sub-matter”—emerging through the persistence of perception.
Recent solo exhibitions include: In Motion, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland (2023); Dark Tide, part of PASSAGES INSOLITES, Québec, Canada (2023); Elevation, Chi K11 Space, China (2022); Snowball – Rheology, Martell Foundation, Cognac, France (2019); Raging Dreams, S12 Gallery, Norway (2017)
Debombourg has received numerous awards and grants, including: Prizewinner, awarded by Les Amis de la Maison Rouge, Antoine de Galbert Foundation, Paris; Cultural Affairs Grant, Mairie of Paris, supporting the Volte-Face exhibition project in Sarajevo; CNAP Acquisition for the Métissages collection, curated by Yves Sabourin.
Notable public commissions include: Alvar Aalto University, Helsinki; La Chaufferie, Galerie de la Hear, Strasbourg; La Maison Rouge, Fondation Antoine de Galbert, Paris; Maison Martin Margiela, Miami and Paris 7e; Centre d’Art et de Recherche Duplex 100m2, Sarajevo; Centre d’Art Actuel L’Oeil de Poisson, Québec.
Debombourg studied sculpture at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Lyon and later completed his postgraduate studies at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
SELECTED WORKS
Dark Tide
Inspired by the building’s restructuring—which seamlessly blends historical remnants with bold contemporary elements—the site-specific installation Marée Noire (Black Tide) presents an open-space office abruptly disrupted by a catastrophic event. A massive surge of shattered black glass engulfs everything in its path, evoking the force of a landslide, volcanic eruption, or tidal wave.
Walking across this fragile, glass-like magma creates an immersive sensory experience, prompting reflection on our environmental consciousness in the face of the alarming rise in global temperatures.
This project was created and produced as part of PASSAGES INSOLITES 2023, a public art trail conceived by EXMURO arts publics, under the direction of Vincent Roy and the City of Québec.
Baptiste Debombourg, Black Tide, 2023. Broken laminated glass from the company vitroplus, black lacquer, nails, wood, medium, silicone, scotch, 3.5 x 10 x 9 m (5). LOWjpg
Baptiste Debombourg, Black Tide, 2023. Broken laminated glass from the company vitroplus, black lacquer, nails, wood, medium, silicone, scotch, 3.5 x 10 x 9 m (10). LOWjpg
