Pierre-Alain Hubert
THE FIREWORKS MAN
Pierre-Alain Hubert
I once questioned the unusual way of lighting a little black fuse, just as I once questioned the act of lighting up the night sky.
I reinvent myself every night.
Mobile lighting
A fire tracer ball as less dangerous as it is portable and all the more mysterious.
Then the pleasures of nightfall produce a myriad of sparks in movement.
Probe balloons, helicopters, hot air balloons, off-board, flying wings, bicycles, trucks, whales, cranes, 1000 bikes in Shanghai.
Gardens of fire
The elaboration of a firework bomb is very similar to the blooming of a flower; in Japanese, we say « flower of fire » for the firework. Hence the appeal to place these chrysanthemums on talking trees; woods, forests, and parks.
Writing on water
Water can be made to glow by the reflections of low-powered firework bombs bouncing off the quiet surface of a river.
Daytime running lights
While observing the photos (negatives) that were taken during his shows, he had the idea of firing dark fireworks against a background of blue sky.
Seeing the invisible
His research on particle physics led him to study photons and research the miniaturization of sparks. We are going beyond what is visible!
About him
Pierre-Alain HUBERT
L’HOMME D’ARTIFICE
Craftsman, sky artist and dreamer, Pierre Alain Hubert, based in Marseille (France)
is considered to be one of the greatest pyrotechnical artists of our time.
For more than 50 years, his spectacular creations have fascinated spectators worldwide, from Athens to Zimbabwe.
In his own words, his exhibitions are « an opera of lights where fireworks
play an important role », but that’s not all…
An architect by training and famous for his ability to interact and inspire his surroundings, whether it be the Palace of Versailles, the palace of Ceausescu in Bucharest, or along the Great Wall of China, his creations are never just fireworks. « Fireworks are a possibility », the music, the fire, and especially movement all play a vital part in his exhibitions.
Hubert thinks that fireworks without movement are boring. Water skiers with rockets,
helicopters erupting with fireworks or even 1,000 choreographed cyclists with 2000 moving wheels to symbolize China’s bid for the Olympics, nothing is ever too spectacular.
Even the audience is part of the show as it sets their hearts and souls on fire with the
the beauty of his sky paintings.
« Fireworks with soul, » says Pierre Alain Hubert, « A painting needs to speak; I have
that one chance to make an impression on my audience, I’ll pay attention to the moment. »
Because he loves people and because his creations are made for large audiences, he’s regularly showcasing his displays of happiness across the world, which, when scaled to the « kilometer, » are visible to crowds all over the world.
Student of the Ecole Normale Supérieure.
Visiting artist at MIT… CAVS, Cambridge, USA
Imera, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Research, Marseille, associate researcher.
Laureate of the Villa Koujoyama, Kyoto, Japan.