Philippe Pastor – North Pole and other precarious landscapes

Mostra pesonale.

Comunicato stampa

Robilant+Voena is pleased to announce an exhibition of paintings by Monegasque artist Philippe Pastor in Milan. The only artist to have represented Monaco at both the Venice Biennale (2007 and 2009) and the Milan Expo (2015), the exhibition presents new works from Pastor’s series North Pole, comprising large, monochrome, expressive canvases that evoke the duality of power and fragility of the polar regions, and emphasise the dangers inherent to the continuous melting of the ice caps. These will be shown alongside paintings from other recent series, including Bleu Monochrome and Rose Bonbon. Collectively, the works exemplify the artist’s environmental advocacy and his mission to urge climate action.

The works will be displayed across two locations in Milan – at Robilant+Voena’s gallery on Via della Spiga, and with the largest works shown at a special venue, the former club Plastic on Via Gargano – offering an immersive encounter with these monumental abstract works that percolates through the infrastructure of the city. This is Philippe Pastor’s third solo exhibition with the gallery and his first at R+V’s Milan gallery, following presentations in St. Moritz and New York in 2024.

The works range from large to monumental, inviting visitors to revel in the power of expression and gestural action implied through the works, while also considering the extensive research that is a core part of his practice. The artist creates each work with natural pigments and a bespoke hand-crafted adhesive, working with raw materials that reflect the earth’s riches while alluding to their fragility and man’s exploitation of these resources. Another layer of Pastor’s process is the exposure of his works to the elements, allowing space for nature to leave its mark on his creations. After applying his materials, the artist leaves the canvas in the open air, exposed to the four elements of wind, earth, rain and sun. The imprint of external, unpredictable factors imbue the work with a powerful message: that nature, despite man’s attempts to tame it, will ultimately remain outside our control and if we mistreat our planet, then we will bear the consequences.

The exhibition is accompanied by a digital catalogue including a conversation with Philippe Pastor by curator Caroline Corbetta, and an artist profile by journalist Axelle Corty.