In ‘The Party is Over,’ Murmure Confronts the Absurd Spectacle of the End Times

In a world this absurd and disastrous, do we gravitate toward cynicism or levity? For the artist duo known as Murmure (previously), both are the only option.

The Caen, France-based pair presents a new body of paintings and charcoal drawings in their plainly titled exhibition, La fête est finie, or The party is over. Through a unique sense of wit and irony, they transform astronauts into runway models, the moon into a nuclear power plant, and a birthday cake into a raging forest fire.

an astronaut carrying a louis vuitton case in a piece by Murmure
“Moon Walk” (2025), carbon pencil on paper, 50 x 40 centimeters

Where there could be commonplace sights or moments of joy and frivolity, Murmure instead presents an unsettling composition. Every ill-advised choice—whether baking in front of a UV screen or watching cows graze on an ice floe—becomes a spectacular confrontation with our collective obsessions with consumerism, ecological wreckage, and self-serving gluttony.

La fête est finie is on view through November 22 at Galerie LJ in Paris. Find more from the artists on their website and Instagram.

a piece by Murmure of a woman standing in front of a UV screen
“UV #2” (2025), carbon pencil on paper, 35 x 35 centimeters
a piece by Murmure of a nuclear plant on the moon
“Nuclear Moon” (2025), carbon pencil on paper, 50 x 70 centimeters
cartoonish mushrooms stand beneath a painting of a mushroom-shaped explosion by Murmure
“A Mushroom Story” (2025), acrylic on canvas, 200 x 150 centimeters
a piece by Murmure of a cake with a forest in flames
“Happy Birthday” (2025), carbon pencil on paper, 55 x 40 centimeters
a woman relaxes in front of a UV screen with a martini in a piece by Murmure
“UV #1” (2025), carbon pencil on paper, 180 x 130 centimeters
a painting by Murmure of a polar bear sleeping on a cooler
“Cooler Age” (2025), acrylic on canvas, 50 x 70 centimeters

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article In ‘The Party is Over,’ Murmure Confronts the Absurd Spectacle of the End Times appeared first on Colossal.

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