STATEMENT ANTOINE FELIX BÜRCHER

STUDIOK3 31.8.2024 - 14.9.2024 

"Statement" is a project designed to invite an Artist to present a completed work from the current year directly from their studio in the room of StudioK3. This exclusive piece of work will be showcased and presented, having never been displayed in an exhibition context before.

The artist introduces his work in a relaxed salon format, providing an intimate "meet the artist" experience.

Antoine Félix Bürcher is a Zürich-based artist whose conceptual work explores the intersection of sculpture, memory, and form through a multidisciplinary approach. Bürcher's research generates fictional worlds, prompting reflections on time and a non-linear aesthetic that emphasizes the transient and enduring aspects of reality.

His glass sculptures reveal uncharted landscapes where figurative relics intertwine in a vision that blends the future, past, and present. Glass, collected from diverse places, is fused into molds, resulting in works that encapsulate a transfer of materials and histories, each sculpture serving as a vessel for the stories it contains.

Works presented: Unititled, 2050, found and melted glass, 100 x 30 x 30 cm

Unititled, 2050, found and melted glass, 50 x 30 x 15 cm

Photos: Antoine Félix Bürcher

Artist Website

Conversation between Antoine Félix Bürcher and Sandi Paucic 

August 2024

Sandi Paucic (SP): Antoine, you’ve just returned from New York, and you brought two new works straight from your studio in Manegg Zurich, to StudioK3. Could you tell us a bit about them?

Antoine Félix Bürcher (AFB): One of the pieces is a stack of shoes, and the other is an intertwining of laptops. Both sculptures are made of glass, but not in the usual transparent way people might expect. The glass is opaquer and has a rough, almost rock-like texture.

SP: How did you come to use glass as your main material, and why does it look like this?

AFB: I’ve always been drawn to materials that are part of my everyday life. The glass I use is found, coming from various places and situations. It could be leftover bottles from where I live, glasses I took from exhibition aperitifs, or even glass shards and bottles, I find outside. I like that all this glass carries a history — it’s like a collection of moments from different times and places. When I melt it together, it transforms into something new, but it still holds onto those traces of its past.

SP: So, you don’t create new glass from silica sands?

AFB: No, I don’t. I prefer working with what’s already around me. The glass I use comes with its own stories and history. This approach leads to different colours and textures depending on the original glass and how it reacts during the melting process. The results can vary greatly—sometimes the glass is blue or black, other times green or red, depending on oxidation and the specific mix of glass.

SP: You mentioned earlier that, as a child, you were interested in collecting stones. Does this have any connection to your current work with glass?

AFB: Yes. As a child, I loved collecting rocks. I was fascinated by how these seemingly ordinary objects could connect to different places and histories. This interest in rocks made me think about the concept of nature too. I’m quite sceptical about what we often refer to as “nature”— it’s a concept that’s loaded with meanings that can be misleading or overly romanticized. I see my glass work as an extension of this idea; it’s about finding value and meaning in everyday materials, much like those stones I collected.

SP: Can you tell us more about why you’re drawn to these in-between states with your materials?

AFB: I’m interested in glass because it embodies contradictions — it’s strong yet fragile, opaque yet translucent. These dualities make it a compelling material for exploring themes like time, memory, and transformation. I’m not aiming for perfection in my work. Instead, I embrace the glass’s natural qualities, its roughness, and its translucency. 

SP: You talk about the idea of time in your work. Could you elaborate on this?

AFB: I’m fascinated by time and how it can be represented in non-linear ways, much like geological layers that don’t follow a straightforward timeline. This is why I date my works in the future — 2050 or 2060, for example. It’s a way to play with the concept of time and challenge how we think about what is contemporary. The future dates are meant to provoke thought about our current anxieties, especially considering the intense times we live in. My generation is very concerned about the future. We’re facing so many uncertainties, from climate change to political instability, and I think it’s important to reflect these concerns in my art.

SP: You’ve incorporated familiar objects like shoes and laptops into the two glass sculptures you show at StudioK3. Why these objects – motives?

AFB: I like using everyday objects because they are familiar and loaded with meaning, yet they take on a new significance when cast in glass. The shoes – it’s a set of my own shoes by the way – and laptops are not just random choices; they represent personal and societal stories. By turning them into glass, I’m transforming them into something that feels petrified, like fossils. This process freezes them in time and allows them to exist outside of their usual context.

SP: How do these two new pieces fit into the evolution of your oeuvre?

AFB: I believe, these pieces are part of a shift in my practice. I’m about to start to combine different materials and objects, thinking the longer the more not just about single objects but larger installations that explore space and interaction in new ways. I’m experimenting with integrating structural elements like metal into my glass sculptures. The glass is no longer just a kind of skin; it takes on the quality and volume of flesh, while the iron assumes the function of bones. This will allow me to think about my work not just as individual objects but as parts of a larger environment.

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