Pablo Benzo – Reciting from Memory

The latest series of works by artist Pablo Benzo (*1982, Santiago, Chile) explores the depiction of objects, people, and landscapes in a dreamlike, distorted reality that challenges the boundaries of traditional image perception.

The paintings on display depict spaces that themselves contain canvases—some still in progress, others already completed. Similar to a picture within a picture (or mise en abyme, as seen in Vanitas representations of the 16th and 17th centuries), the artist questions our position by opening up multiple dimensions. We gaze from our world through his painterly universe, through windows (or are they balconies and terraces?) into landscapes reminiscent of Renaissance painting. Easels are not merely depicted; they are also physically present in the gallery space. Viewers instinctively seek connections across the layers the artist offers.

Benzo’s still lifes also present surreal landscapes and objects, exploring pathways of visual perception. Abstract surfaces and forms move softly within the image: trees with organic, almost fleshy shapes, and skies glowing in pastel tones that radiate warmth. Benzo achieves this effect by adding highly fluorescent pigments to his muted palette—echoing the luminous rave fashion of the 1990s.

The exhibition includes references to iconic works from art history, such as a contemporary reinterpretation of Luncheon on the Grass by Édouard Manet. Following a Picasso version of Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, Benzo reimagines the motif in his work As the River Widens into a Pond. This painting engages critically with historical avant-garde traditions while raising timely questions about human existence, identity, and nature.

Pablo Benzo, born in 1982 in Santiago, Chile, studied graphic design and has lived in Berlin since 2013. He works intuitively, employing automatism to incorporate experiences and observations into his art. His work has been shown internationally, including the exhibition Odyssey (2024, Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, Greece) and solo exhibitions such as Some Things Last a Long Time (2023, Steve Turner, Los Angeles) and Some Velvet Morning (2021, Dio Horia, Mykonos). His works have been presented at major art fairs including Art Brussels, KIAF (Seoul), Expo Chicago, The Armory Show, and Art021 in Shanghai, and are held in prominent collections worldwide. In 2022, he received the Colección Solo Acquisition Prize at Untitled Miami.