Across the various media he uses – drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, video and performance – Barthélémy Toguo always seeks to convey his poetic and critical impressions of the world and its political, cultural and social tensions. To do so, he creates strong and expressive images that encourage viewers to reflect on their own ethical position.
The work Heimatlos draws attention to the migrants who try to reach the European continent in the hope of a better future, yet eventually find themselves ‘homeless’. As the artist’s work illustrates, migratory crises are synonymous with shattered lives, but they are also exploited by politicians and the media. His monumental sculpture, which represents a stamp similar to those used on administrative documents, could also be seen to represent the outlines of a human portrait.
