Clémence Gbonon & Raphaël Barontini
Geste/s

 

Geste/s Magazine brings together 16 artists from very different generations, cultures, systems of thought, and aesthetic horizons, among them Clémence Gbonon and Raphaël Barontini. Chosen because their work resonates with the editors, each artist was asked a single question, offering a range of perspectives that illuminate the theme of this issue.

 

"In the West, we do not necessarily cultivate our connection to an invisible world made of signs and multiple possibilities of interpretation. Our verbal language is so all-encompassing that we tend to ignore other forms of language. In painting, this tendency has in some respects encouraged an interest in works that are understandable and readable, almost univocal. Yet as a painter, I would say that a powerful painting is one that unfolds in the realm of the unsayable and challenges rationality. Painting is a physical sensation, an alchemy; it escapes any reductive logic insofar as it is itself a language.

 

I think that our relationship to painting is closely linked to our relationship with nature. Both require that we be sensitive to the subtle world concealed between things, around and within us, in a sensory, immediate, and physical apprehension, beyond any explanation or rationality.” 

 

"I believe that nature stands above everything; its power and vital force constitute its eternal beauty. When placed within the Caribbean landscape, we know how much it can be as magnificent as it is destructive. This is what makes these archipelagos such a beautiful place—between volcanoes, lush forests, cyclones, and tectonic plates; in short, a nature that is always in eruption. 

 

For me, in the reality of climate warming and its disruptions, these fragmented landscapes are a living stage, a sensitive archive, a nature that resists and reinvents itself. This nature is also a place of intertwined narratives, of shared imaginaries, where humans have continually projected stories, symbols, and beliefs. Nature is not only beautiful—it is charged with stories, memories, and circulations.”