The sea-facing space of UBP Monaco was recently transformed into a quiet celebration of art, technique, and shared experience for the opening of a new exhibition.
At UBP Monaco, we regularly host art exhibitions in our sea‑facing office to create meaningful connections with our clients. By bringing in works that resonate with their interests, we aim to foster dialogue, spark new perspectives, and offer a setting where finance and culture meet. These exhibitions are an invitation to share not only performance and expertise, but also experiences, emotions, and stories.
“Our ambition is to open our doors to artists whose work combines discipline, innovation, and emotion.”
On 21 May, the Monaco office welcomed many guests for the vernissage of 'Âme' by photographer and freediver Bastien Soleil. The artist attended and introduced his work, which explores movement, light, and water to reveal the boundary between the visible world and our inner lives.
“Our ambition is to open our doors to artists whose work combines discipline, innovation, and emotion,” said Sérène El Masri, CEO, UBP Monaco. “We are proud to shine a light on the rigour, the technique, and — above all — the beauty in Bastien’s work.”
A universe shaped by light and shadow
Bastien Soleil’s journey has led him to develop a visual language that feels outside of time, where figures seem to hover between brightness and darkness. Around a decade ago, during an extended trip through Asia, he discovered what would become his natural environment: water – and freediving in particular. That encounter proved decisive, redefining both his artistic practice and his personal path.
Known for his high standards, Soleil approaches each project with a rare level of discipline. His work combines continuous learning, intense focus, and careful preparation, underpinned by a strong sense of accuracy. By refining and transmitting his practice, he seeks above all to share what motivates him most deeply: a quest for self‑realisation.
For those who encounter his images, the experience is an invitation to follow him into the depths – not only of the sea, but also of the inner landscape of the human psyche.
When water becomes a creative medium
Soleil’s method is both demanding and lyrical. He works with dancers who often have no previous experience of diving, introducing them to freediving so that they can access a new state of awareness and perception, sometimes at depths approaching 20 metres. Breath‑holding becomes a form of intense presence. Once released from the constraints of gravity, the body relates to time and space in a completely different way.
The creative process starts on land. Choreographies are developed and rehearsed with great precision: every gesture, every line, every distance is defined in advance, so that it can later be executed in an underwater environment where air is absent and communication is limited. Around the artist, a close‑knit team of assistants and safety divers ensures that this complex operation can unfold safely.
The team then travels to the cenotes of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula – natural sinkholes revered by the Maya – selected for the clarity of their waters and the way sunlight enters them as if it were a tangible material.
There is no use of artificial intelligence and no digital retouching: the images are created solely with water, light, and the vulnerability of the human figure. As Soleil himself says:
“There is no screen between life laid bare and the soul — only water and light.”
A many‑layered, profoundly human practice
Behind the apparent simplicity of the images lies a constellation of skills that support Soleil’s vision: drawing and sculpture to think in three dimensions, choreography to shape movement, the technical mastery of freediving, the coordination of a specialised team, and the careful choice of singular locations.
His eye has been formed over years of travel and spiritual exploration, particularly in Asia, guided by a central question: What does it mean to live a happy life? Meditation and the study of different philosophical and religious traditions have led him towards an inner space of reflection, from which his work emerges.
Anchored in water and light, his art reveals the human body in weightlessness while echoing a broader art‑historical heritage, from the Renaissance to the dramatic contrasts of the Italian Baroque. Through this demanding, multi‑disciplinary approach, Soleil shares a deeply personal yet universal journey – one oriented towards a simple aspiration: to become fully oneself. At UBP Monaco, the exhibition 'Âme' offers visitors a moment of grace – an invitation to pause, to look more deeply, and to reflect on the invisible currents that shape both the world around us and our inner lives.
