Barbara Bloom: Accord

The project reflects on the concept of “Accord” as a crucial moment when tensions suspend, opening a possibility for harmony. Bloom’s unique approach weaves visual storytelling and layered meanings, inviting viewers to explore human connection across time and space. The exhibition revolves around historical places where agreements, treaties, alliances, and cultural moments took place. Starting with the earliest documented peace treaty in 1269 BC between the Egyptians and Hittites, the show moves through historical events like the 1919 Versailles Treaty and the 1993 negotiations ending Apartheid in South Africa. Bloom also imagines unlikely meetings between figures like Jesus, Émile Zola, Nefertiti, and Amy Winehouse gathered around a game table, suggesting that harmony remains a universal aspiration even in the most unlikely contexts. The works turn these extraordinary events into starting points for broader reflection, with figures casting shadows or becoming 3D objects, inviting an immersive experience that destabilizes the boundaries between representation and reality. Bloom’s method focuses on slow, in-depth research, embracing deviation and intuition until the work takes shape. Accord represents her urgency to find enduring signs of positive human efforts in a complex historical era, offering a visually evocative reflection on the human desire for connection and harmony.