Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, they say – indicating that something must have happened prior to the occurrence of the smoke. Something that must have caused those cloudy trails. That smell.

But the thing is—it does not work both ways—where there’s fire, there’s not necessarily smoke. The fire ­realized that the smoke is a trace of its existence. It is the proof of its cause.
So the fire decided that it must burn more cautiously not to arouse suspicion. It needs to prevent the smoke from billowing out of its tongues. The fire tries to hold its breath, to stay calm, smoke a cigarette and keep a low profile. It is training for its next big appearance. ­Rehearsing circles, lines and vertical formations—these are the trickiest ones, they require the highest level of skill.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, they say – indicating that something must have happened prior to the occurrence of the smoke. Something that must have caused those cloudy trails. That smell.

But the thing is—it does not work both ways—where there’s fire, there’s not necessarily smoke. The fire ­realized that the smoke is a trace of its existence. It is the proof of its cause.
So the fire decided that it must burn more cautiously not to arouse suspicion. It needs to prevent the smoke from billowing out of its tongues. The fire tries to hold its breath, to stay calm, smoke a cigarette and keep a low profile. It is training for its next big appearance. ­Rehearsing circles, lines and vertical formations—these are the trickiest ones, they require the highest level of skill.

Site-Specific Installation: Deborah Bowmann, Brussels (BE)
18.09–13.11.2021

Video:
3D-Animation and Sound
1920 × 1080
9:30 Min.
2021

Concept/CGI: Stefanie Schwarzwimmer
Sound: Christopher Schmidt
Voices: Armin Lorenz Gerold, June Drevet
VFX: David Pastor

Gabrielle de la Puente (EN) ↗
Marlene Denningmann (EN, DE) ↗