Palladio Cabinet, 2007
Polyurethane resin
260 x 130 x 37 cm
Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris, Brussels
Petit Palais
Gateano Pesce was born in 1939, in La Spezia, Italy. His multidisciplinary and humanistic practice is characterized by an inventive use of color and materials, asserting connections between the individual and society. He was one of the first to break down the barriers between art, architecture and design, creating a universe of objects that became true icons of creativity. “The title of this work indicates that this piece refers to Palladio’s life. He was the son of a carpenter and a washer woman, and their house - which still exists - stands along a canal near the Via XX Settembre in Padua. The running water in front of the house enabled his mother to make a living from washing clothes. I imagine that such garments would have been multi-hued and lled with the energy inherent in color. They were a daily presence in the life of the future architect, but curiously, he never explored the resources of colored materials. (...) This bookshelf-portrait pays homage to him on the upcoming 500th anniversary of his birth and to the absence of color in his work. On the back, there is a tribute to his mother and an evocation of the color of water, foam and soap bubbles.” Gaetano Pesce
Photo: Marc Domage