PASSAGES Propos d’ouverture de la Journée d’Étude sur l’Éphémère dans l’art (Université Catholique de Lyon, 5 mai 2023)

Abstract

This paper explore the theme of ephemerality in art, analyzing how works of art, despite their fragility and transience, manage to question the meaning of human time. From the historical ambivalence towards the ephemeral, citing classical authors like Horace and Ovid, and the biblical tradition that oscillates between the eternity and fragility of the work, to the contemporaneity which sees a fascination for ephemeral creation, integrating death into matter and assuming the contradiction of creating something significant in a fleeting support. This reflection questions the ephemeral in art, recognizing the beauty of transitory works and the wisdom that comes from accepting their fugacity.