Margaux Bricler on Poetics, Extremity, and Narrative in Art

In an interview with Davide Dal Sasso, artist Margaux Bricler discusses the oscillation between the poetic and the extreme in her work, emphasizing the role of accident and contingency. She describes her approach to narrative as paradoxical: while her works form constellations that suggest stories, she deliberately avoids imposing a fixed narrative, leaving it open for the viewer. Bricler works across sculpture, photography, and video, treating photography as an object rather than an image. Her practice is influenced by Walter Benjamin's concept of aura, which she uses to distance the author and allow the work to speak. She explores themes of ruin, nudity, and eroticism, drawing on Georges Bataille. Her current project focuses on the myth of Europa, particularly her return home, linking it to the history of the Canaanites and Phoenicians and their purple dye. Bricler sees the 'bizarre' as a political tool, resisting societal normalization. The interview was published on Artribune in September 2018.