The starting point for this exhibition is the paintings of Nicolas de Staël, the 20th-century Russian painter. His work is based on the exploration of the materiality and vibrancy of color in oil.
His work always remains at an intermediate point between abstraction and figuration. He abstracted landscapes and human figures, but always tried to maintain the essence of the original form.
In this exhibition by Aratz Azpiri, an interpretation of the essence of Nicolas de Staël appears, based on the Russian painter’s landscapes and using his work as a filter—that is, “de Staëlizing” the landscapes.
It is worth mentioning that the landscapes that appear in these works do not originate from reality, but from the artist’s own imagination, and the purpose of these paintings is to explore the materiality and intensity of oil paint using the landscape as a medium, just as Nicolas de Staël did.
In addition to the paintings, the exhibition also includes a video entitled “Distorting Landscapes.” This video explores how the different perspectives of artists can transform the same landscape in countless ways—how a landscape changes after passing through the artist’s filter.
To this end, Aratz Azpiri has selected four different landscapes, projected simultaneously, each immersed in a constant transformation, a visual metaphor for life and art.