Belgian photographic and film artist Marie-Jo Lafontaine is a prominent figure in contemporary European art. Lafontaine received critical acclaim for her video sculpture ‘Les larmes d'acier’ (Tears of Steel) first presented at Documenta VIII in Kassel in 1987. Many of her monumental film installations show the theatre of the elements in fury, the power and passion of the natural world. Lafontaine has won numerous prizes and exhibited internationally. Since the mid-1970s, Marie-Jo Lafontaine’s work has reflected a critical observation of society, its major upheavals, and the seismic shifts to come. The juxtaposition of concepts such as life, death, love, and hate allow her to question the human condition, identity, childhood, adolescence, and memory. A magician of images, she provokes us through her videos and monumental photographic portraits, seeking to evoke emotion within us —a starting point for critical thinking— in the face of an increasingly unjust and violent world. Marie-Jo Lafontaine challenges us and reminds us of the necessity of taking the time to pause and contemplate her art.