The Chaire Santé-SHS exhibition “Breathing”, presented in London
“Breathing” the exhibition organized by the Chaire Santé-SHS of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in collaboration with the artist researcher Filomena Borecká has been breathing life into London.
After Paris and Oxford, the exhibition moved to London at the Czech Centre from October 31, 2025, to January 15, 2026. The inauguration was held to celebrate the opening of the 29th Made in Prague Festival.
“Breathing” explores the history and meanings of breathing through the lens of the humanities and social sciences, tracing how air, health, and society are intertwined. It was built on the outcomes of two interdisciplinary workshops organized in 2024 by the Chaire Santé-SHS, the Centre d’histoire sociale des mondes contemporains (a research unit of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), and the Centre Alexandre-Koyré (CAK). A first version of the exhibition was presented in November 2024 at the Condorcet Campus, based on the work of Filomena Borecká, Phrenos - The Bank of Breath. Filoména Borecká is a Czech artist based in France where she defended her thesis at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne university. Her artistic practice encompasses sculpture, performance, and drawing, mostly concerned with themes that are visually difficult to grasp. She uses participatory sound sculptures that often incorporate the recorded breaths of others to link the external with the internal, underlining our interdependence with our surroundings.
The exhibition has been translated into English and adapted to be hosted at the Maison française d’Oxford in 2025. It centered around Filomena Borecká's participatory sculpture “Breaths – Air Bladders”.
Where does one breath end and another begin? Filoména Borecká’s captivating artwork invites visitors to experience the shared act of breathing and reflect on our connection with the living world. Sparked by the global awareness of breath during the COVID-19 pandemic, and blending art, science and sensorial experience, the exhibition curated by Judith Rainhorn and Charles-Antoine Wanecq explores the cultural, social, and scientific histories of respiration from the 18th century to today. “Breaths - Air Bladders” Judith Rainhorn is a professor of contemporary social history and the holder of the Chaire Santé-SHS.
