I'm Looking for Something to Believe in

The artist’s interest concerns the ambiguity inherent to pyrotechny; in other words, everything to do with fireworks—their range, security perimeters, detonation and explosion. Her works underscore the relationship between leisure and its latent violence. Gunpowder, that fascinating and particularly dangerous black powder brought back to Europe from China by Marco Polo in the 13th Century, was initially used for purposes of destruction. When introduced to France, it was used primarily to make ammunition. Only later was it adapted for entertainment. Today, certain fireworks, such as smoke bombs and rockets, are used by the police and fire-brigade. Elisa Pône reveals the tension that runs through fireworks, contrasting their entertainment value with the act of destruction represented by a burning car. Her art reveals a poetic and its use of vibrant colours is a nod to painterly vocabulary, in such techniques as sfumato, rhythm, pointillism, all-over, historical painting, landscape painting, etc. Pône’s fireworks are created for use in enclosed spaces, where they stun the viewer with the sheer proximity of the visual effect and the intensity of the smells and sounds. In her video I’m Looking for Something to Believe In, a reference to the Ramones’ song Something to Believe In, we see a white car abandoned on the bank of a forest lake, where frogs croak and birds sing. Suddenly, the deafening crack of the first explosion. The bodywork buckles beneath its power, as the passenger door blows open and the windows shatter. The smoke billows and spreads, and gradually nature retakes control. The party’s over. “Nothing makes any sense / But I still try my hardest / Take my hand / Please help me, man / ‘Coz I’m looking for something to believe in / And I don’t know where to start.” J.B.