Link – Contemporary sculptures by Xavier Carrère

In my artistic approach, the nail symbolizes a link.

This Link, made of glass, is luminous, transparent, strong and fragile at the same time.

Like a nail in soft wood, it leaves a mark, bearing witness to its passage.

“Life is made of emotions. Emotion, that which moves, and also that which is moved. Nothing is inert in sensory and sentimental experience. We are touched by what happens to us, even affected. Our desire to live means that every event takes on meaning as soon as it fulfills or disappoints this desire.”

The shock of emotions is lasting; it leaves its mark on us like a nail leaves its mark on soft wood.

One can certainly decide to be serene, to banish obsessions, to be free from one's emotions. The fact remains that things are not so simple, because intense emotion leaves a trace, its memory haunts, as do fear or desire. Traumas, suffering, or intense joys and pleasures—such is life, marking and shaping us. In the long run, we become more sensitive to some things and hardened to others. The desire for lucidity, to be fulfilled, then requires taking a step back.

PENA-RUIZ: The Soul's Nail