Crossover: Jimmy Richer x Prometheus Delivered, wall drawing

The term “crossover” refers to the world of graphic fiction, in which characters from different series meet as antagonists, protagonists, or allies. By intersecting artistic practices, eras, and/or generations, this multifaceted exhibition offers a fresh perspective on the collection while supporting the most contemporary creations.

Prometheus Delivered is a sculpture by the Austrian artist Thomas Feuerstein, which entered the collection of macLYON at the end of the 15th Lyon Contemporary Art Biennial, Là où les eaux se mêlent (Where the Waters Meet).

In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus is condemned because he gave fire to mortals. Jupiter oblige him to be chained to a rock, an eagle coming each day to devour his liver, which regenerates every night. In Thomas Feuerstein’s work, the sculpture of the chained Prometheus is being eaten away by stone-eating bacteria, while a device gradually nourishes artificial liver cells. Mythology and science enter into an allegorical dialogue that seems to question the possible futures of humanity.

By focusing on fire as a physical and historical phenomenon, Jimmy Richer analyzes the issues at stake in this story through a mural created in relation to the work of Thomas Feuerstein. Fire, embodied here by a comet associated with the figure of Prometheus, testifies to the existence of this element, whether it comes from the sky or appears spontaneously in nature, long before its use by humankind.

Jimmy Richer investigates the origin of myths, traditions and stories. The invention of the myth of Prometheus was, according to the artist, a way for humans to give meaning, however mythological and irrational, to the scientific and technological potential of mastering fire.


Extract from the exhibition press release