The acceleration of history, the desire for unalterable beauty, the quest for eternity, the tireless longing for a Promised Land, the self-destructive impulse, the virtualization of the world, and the imperative of modernity: all these factors compel us to pay close attention to the Metamorphoses affecting humanity.

For the first time, humankind has reached the limits of its innovations. With Hiroshima, it summoned the specter of total annihilation. Since then, we have entered a world that eludes us entirely. Caught in the cogs of an infernal machine, human beings have become slaves to their own creations.

Gérard Rancinan follows the thread of art history, establishing links with classical artists and appropriating universal themes to depict his era and its great upheavals. In the “Raft of Illusion,” the slaves of yesteryear have become unemployed migrants, prepared to risk their lives for the ambiguous lure of distant shores. In “The Big Supper,” Leonardo’s ascetic masterpiece is transformed into an orgy of cheap, brightly colored food, while a disdainful host opts for more organic fare.

By posing a series of ethical questions, Caroline Gaudriault—co-author of the series—and Gérard Rancinan appeal to our conscience. “Metamorphoses” is a provocation, a call to reflection.