The Humans

Created based on the artist’s drawings then produced in human size proportions in 2007, The Humans — six sculptures made of Carrara marble and bronze — were first showcased during the 2023 edition of Le Voyage à Nantes. From now on, these six creatures will forever reside in the Cour de la Présidence de l’Université. With attributes conveying stereotypes of both past and present, they present a skewed, humorous, and sarcastic vision of humanity’s evolution.

From left to right: Rock symbolizes the creation of the Earth; Half Fish Half Monkey represents the emergence of life; Venus is a reinterpretation of a Paleolithic Venus, symbolizing the appearance of humankind; Religion takes the form of a medieval crusader; King spills over with crowns, representing absolute power; and finally, Mouse, with its tail shaped like an electrical cord, evokes contemporary humans and their dependence on the connected world.

Using the same visual codes as those for emojis, Breuning’s Humans express perplexity and distress. With their simple smiles curved downwards, the characters are both transfigured and resolutely pathetic.