BEIJING.- Sean Kelly announced the opening of Kairos Resounding, an exhibition featuring two artists Julian Charrière and Laurent Grasso, both of whom we represent. The exhibition at 798CUBE in Beijing, China, brings together artists whose oeuvres investigate time, perception, and planetary transformation. It also represents the first institutional solo presentations for both artists in China.
Kairos Resounding presents film, sculpture, photography, and immersive installations to explore glaciers, atmospheric phenomena, and data landscapes, encompassing underwater, terrestrial, and celestial dimensions. Inspired by the ancient Greek concept of kairos, which signifies critical moments in time, the exhibition prompts reflection on our nonlinear perception of time, a series of significant events impacting ecological, technological, and epistemic systems. This exploration of temporality is evident through Julian Charrière's focus on material time and Laurent Grasso's examination of the metaphysical aspect of time.
In the works The Blue Fossil Entropic Stories, 2013, Towards No Earthly Pole, 2019, and Albedo, 2025, Charrière explores Earth systems beyond human time, intensifying fleeting moments through direct engagement with planetary thresholds. Charrière's expeditions to remote locations evoke a profound sensory experience and address the traumas of the Anthropocene. By integrating geosciences, Charrière reveals the dynamic interplay between geological forces and human intervention. Laurent Grasso explores kairos through epistemic ruptures, developing alternative knowledge systems where ancestral wisdom gains new relevance and speculative tools connect the present with the past. Grasso's video works OttO, 2018, and ARTIFICIALIS, 2021, challenge scientific certainties and envision a future where inherited knowledge informs emerging technologies. Grasso constructs a cosmology that suspends perception, challenging how we perceive the world, presenting time as a complex mix of ancient and modern forms of knowledge.
The exhibition invites viewers to reflect upon the vastness of time, connecting deep historical roots with urgent contemporary issues. It addresses ecological challenges placing viewers in a reflective space that bridges the past and the future. Rather than providing closure, the exhibition creates a sense of urgency and accountability in the present moment. Kairos Resounding asks viewers to engage with global concerns, emphasizing the complex reality of the contemporary world alongside one that has been lost.
