ALC & LART Universe present Mariko Art Exhibition
Geographies of Destiny – Mariko (Florence Combescure)
Geographies of Destiny is an exhibition in Luxembourg (3–30 June) dedicated to French sculptor Mariko (Florence Combescure). The exhibition explores her artistic journey through sculpture as a form of cultural dialogue, personal memory, and identity transformation.
Rather than following a chronological narrative, the exhibition presents Mariko’s work as a “mental cartography” where experiences from Africa, Europe, and Asia intersect. These regions are not treated as geographical locations but as symbolic influences that shape her artistic vision.
Born in Avignon in 1958 and raised between Africa and Europe, Mariko developed a deep connection with clay and sculpture during her childhood in Africa, particularly through encounters with local artisans and Maasai communities in Kenya. These experiences inspired a visual language populated by symbolic figures, masks, totems, and hybrid forms.
Her sculptures—created from materials such as clay, bronze, stone, resin, and metal—explore themes of memory, myth, transformation, and cultural exchange. The female figure is a recurring motif, representing strength, balance, creativity, and inner life rather than a specific narrative subject.
A central concept of the exhibition is Mombasa, Kenya, which serves as a symbolic point of origin and a metaphorical crossroads between Africa, the Arab world, and Asia. This idea reflects Mariko’s broader artistic philosophy that identity is fluid and shaped through relationships, encounters, and movement.
Influenced by thinkers such as Édouard Glissant and Claude Lévi-Strauss, Mariko’s work emphasizes interconnectedness rather than fixed cultural identities. Her sculptures function as points of passage between cultures, memories, and myths, creating a dynamic reflection on the contemporary world.
Overall, Geographies of Destiny presents sculpture as a way of understanding the complexity of identity, memory, and cultural belonging through material and form.
Agenda
18:30 Welcome arrival
19:00 Speeches of Martina (Gallery Manager) and Burrel (President ALC)
20:00 Networking drink and food