Jeppe Hein

Breathe with Me

Public Program, 2024

“ Life begins with an inhale and ends with an exhale.In-between we all breathe and live different lives.And yet, each breath keeps us together, connected, sharing the same air. ” Jeppe Hein

About the Artist

Jeppe Hein (b. 1974) is a Danish artist based in Berlin. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Art and at the Städelschule in Frankfurt.

Jeppe Hein is widely known for producing experiential and interactive artworks positioned at the junction where art, architecture and technical inventions intersect. Unique in their formal simplicity and notable for their frequent use of humor, his works engage in a lively dialogue with the traditions of minimalist sculpture and conceptual art of the 1970s. Hein’s works often feature surprising and captivating elements that place spectators at the center of events and focus on their experience and perception of the surrounding space.

Solo shows include Moderna Museet, Stockholm (2022); Changing Spaces in front of Rockefeller Center, New York City (2022); Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt (2020); Breathe with Me at UN Headquarters and in Central Park, New York City (2019); Château La Coste (2017); Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg (2015); Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York City (2015); 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (2011); IMA - Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis (2010); ARoS Kunstmuseum, Aarhus (2009); Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver (2009); Carré d’Art, Musée d’art contemporain de Nîmes (2007); The Curve, Barbican Art Centre, London (2007); Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (2005) and P.S.1. MOMA, New York (2004) among others. He participated in La Biennale di Venezia’s 58th edition in 2019 and 50th edition in 2003. Permanent installations are on view at Frederiksberg Alle 41, Copenhagen, Denmark (2023), Monheim am Rhein, Germany (2022), ARKEN Museum of Modern Art, Denmark (2021); La Guardia Airport, USA (2020); Fondation Carmignac, Porquerolles Island, France (2018); Kistefos-Museet, Norway (2016); Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2013); City of Perth, Australia (2012); and Bristol University, United Kingdom (2009) among others.

About the Artwork

Breathe with Me at UC San Diego, designed by world-renowned artist Jeppe Hein, was a multi-day public art and breathing project focusing on mental health, mindfulness and community, hosted October 24 - 26, 2024 at the Epstein Family Amphitheater. Attendees added parallel blue lines with a paintbrush to a canvas while meditatively focusing on their breathing, painting down the canvas while exhaling.

Focused on the universal act of breathing, Breathe with Me by Jeppe Hein is a global engagement art project that spreads a simple but ambitious message of interconnectivity, by inviting everyone to breathe together. Breathe with Me ignites awareness, unity and positive action for a strong and sustainable future. It inspires engagement that is impactful in a multitude of ways to see how the world can breathe together for a better future.

Breathe with Me emphasized the importance of slowing down, centering ourselves, and recognizing the significance of mental health and self-awareness in our daily lives. As a tool for promoting understanding and compassion, Breathe with Me provided a space for individuals to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others. By connecting breathwork with artistic expression, participants were encouraged to be more present, reflective, and empathetic.

The communal nature of the event promoted unity, as people from different backgrounds and experiences came together, realizing that despite our differences, we all share the essential human experience of breathing. In this way, Breathe with Me went beyond being just an art project—it became a platform for cultivating compassion and fostering connection in the community.

Learn more about this project at breathewithme.world.

Breathe with Me at UC San Diego was a Stuart Collection initiative, presented in partnership with the Campus Performances and Events Office and in collaboration with Tritons Belong.