I collect broken lighters. My first installation using them as art objects took place in 2014 as part of the Bastards: Blood Is Not Water exhibition in Krasnodar. I am learning that many of my projects seem to run on a timeline of decades. Fast forward to autumn 2023, City of Arts & Sciences, Valencia, Spain.

The theme of CLEC Fashion Festival this year was White Emergency highlighting the link between fashion and climate change. CLEC is a multidisciplinary platform that explores fashion in its greater context(s). I knew my lighters were ready for their second public appearance… October 27-28.

The Gospel According to Prometheus: The Last of the First Signs

El Evangelio de Prometeo: Los Últimos de Los Primeros Signos 

“Prometheus brought fire to the people. The 200 broken lighters found in the streets form a defense unit like terracotta warriors of the past. On one hand, it is an ominous sign of the times, made from plastic trash, fossil fuels, and lost dreams. On the other hand, it is a tribute to human desire to seek beauty and meaning in our hardest experiences. How are we (mis)using this gift today?”

The number of broken lighters in the CLEC installation is inspired by the post-apocalyptic vibes of the song “200 Days” by Atrium Carceri: “Distant lands. We have been here for 200 days. No one’s coming to save us. This place is rotten. It’s pure black. We’re all so tired. But we can’t sleep.” It was phenomental to see them claim their atemporal/temporary space inside one of the most iconic buildings in Spain, if not Europe or the world: the Hemisfèric planetarium by the great Santiago Calatrava.

Here is a throwback to my original artists statement from 2014: “A lighter is one the most ubiquitous products in the world. Every year millions are sold in every city. For all its usefulness, low cost and easy availability make them a throwaway bargain. Lighters came to me out of the snow banks and puddles, from underneath the bus tires and park benches. Sometimes alone, sometimes several through the course of a day or a night. Some were fully functional but due to circumstances unknown found themselves discarded. Some had fuel, but lost a sparking mechanism. In others, the mechanism was intact, but the fuel had leaked out or been exhausted. Some suffered a fate that rendered them almost unrecognizable. Gathered together… as the terracotta warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huang… they bear witness to all that has come before them and stand vigil for all that may come to pass as if the word potential may never be used in the past tense.”

Thank you to Miquel Suay and the CLEC team for their trust in this installation, to curator Leyly Aslanova for her faith in my lighters a decade ago, and to Katherine Williams for these pics and all the runs!

Good things come to those who … nurture their crazy creative intuition. Onward.

ATTENTION: Do you know of a place or an event where my broken lighters can make an impact? Please, let me know and we can collaborate on a site specific installation and/or a workshop about recycled art.

If you liked this artwork, encourage me to create: Buy Me a Coffee or Patreon.

P.S. Here the Atrium Carceri track that inspired the number of broken lighters in the CLEC installation: