Chaim van Luit, Breathe In, Breed Out, 2018*

Breathe In, Breed Out is a pun on the phrase ‘breathe in, breathe out.’ The deceptive title actually refers to ‘breeding’ or ‘race’. With this neon work, Van Luit reflects on the idea that humans see themselves as the centre of the cycle of all life on earth. An idea that, according to Van Luit, is completely misguided. ‘It is only by chance that we are on this earth, and it is very likely that the human race will not be here forever. Perhaps as many living things have disappeared as the number of times we breathe in and out during our lifetime. So, like millions of other organisms before us, we humans are also likely to become extinct.’

Chaim van Luit (1985)
Breathe In, Breed Out, 2018
Neon
Stedelijk Museum Schiedam

This acquisition was made possible with the support of the Mondriaan Fund.

Image: Chaim van Luit, Breathe In, Breed Out, 2018, foto: Aad Hoogendoorn