JORGE PARDO: COLOR, SPACE, AND PERCEPTION AT ELBA BENÍTEZ
Elba Benítez Gallery in Madrid, in collaboration with Clarissa Bronfman, presents a must-see exhibition by Jorge Pardo (Havana, Cuba, 1963), featuring a selection of works designed and created specifically for the gallery space. Emphasizing the importance of space, the Cuban artist employs his signature multidisciplinary approach to explore how color and texture influence perception. To this end, the exhibition is arranged in areas that serve a dual purpose.
On one hand, each section functions as an installation in itself; on the other, it serves as an exhibition space where individual works—including paintings, drawings, furniture, and lamps—are displayed in harmony, reinforcing his thesis on the sensory experience and the static and dynamic aspects of visual and tactile perception.
The first room features a ceramic floor created with the same intent. Integrated into this whole, several paintings encourage a more archetypal confrontation with the same object, transforming the entire space into a work of art. The intersecting processes also highlight the relationship between the physical and the virtual, between the tangible and the intangible.
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Jorge Pardo en Elba Benítez. Cortesía de Jorge Pardo y la Galería Elba Benítez, Oak Taylor Smith
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Jorge Pardo en Elba Benítez. Cortesía de Jorge Pardo y la Galería Elba Benítez, Oak Taylor Smith
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Jorge Pardo en Elba Benítez. Cortesía de Jorge Pardo y la Galería Elba Benítez, Oak Taylor Smith
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Jorge Pardo en Elba Benítez. Cortesía de Jorge Pardo y la Galería Elba Benítez, Oak Taylor Smith
The second major space inevitably recalls Gran Vía 67 (2007), an installation the artist developed for this same gallery, which challenged the categorization of the arts by genre or medium. This new installation replicates a certain pattern, enhancing the sense of unity while preserving the individuality of each work in its uniqueness, as if each were essential to a greater purpose.
The lamps designed by the Cuban artist interact with or seem to oversee other canvases on the walls, encapsulating an essence of perception. At the center, two armchairs designed by architect Álvaro Siza (Matosinhos, Portugal, 1933) appear to await visitors, inviting them to sit and engage with these reflections.
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Jorge Pardo en Elba Benítez. Cortesía de Jorge Pardo y la Galería Elba Benítez, Oak Taylor Smith
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Jorge Pardo en Elba Benítez. Cortesía de Jorge Pardo y la Galería Elba Benítez, Oak Taylor Smith
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Jorge Pardo en Elba Benítez. Cortesía de Jorge Pardo y la Galería Elba Benítez, Oak Taylor Smith
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Jorge Pardo en Elba Benítez. Cortesía de Jorge Pardo y la Galería Elba Benítez, Oak Taylor Smith
The apparent individuality of the remaining works on display seems to explore the same ideas. However, each piece is part of a greater whole, contributing to the necessary dissolution of categories before fully experiencing and celebrating art and its aesthetic impact.
This exhibition will be on view until May 10 at Elba Benítez Gallery, San Lorenzo 11, Madrid, Spain.
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