Pedro Pedro, Blanket With Vase of Flowers, Ripe Bananas and Sunglasses, 2024, textile paint on linen, 84x66 inches, 213x167 cm.
Pedro Pedro
Picnic
Open Saturday, August 16th in Ibiza at La Nave Foundation
Fundación La Nave Salinas
Carrer Sa Canal, 2
07818 Sant Josep de Sa Talaia
Balearic Islands, Spain
The Hole is excited to announce Picnic, Pedro Pedro's first institutional solo show opening this August 16th at Fundación La Nave Salinas. Over the past year, Pedro has created thirteen large-scale paintings of elaborate picnic spreads, including a monumental five-meter triptych for the central wall of the foundation. Covering the space with grass, Pedro invites viewers to come picnic with him in Ibiza this summer.
Using textile paint on raw linen, Pedro builds up his colors in multiple layers taking them from faded to bright, but retaining some of the vintage quality the lack of a gessoed ground provides. The works are inspired equally by the Dutch Golden Age and by the fruits and vegetables reproduced in a book of coupons at the supermarket.
This body of work looks at the joy of picnicking—what the artist calls a "compact utopia"—and August, with its ripe sensuality is the perfect month for him to spread these blankets out and fill them with all manner of indulgence. Pedro loves interestingly-shaped and colored objects, and this setting allows him to juxtapose a variety of fun-to-paint bits, from his signature fruits and flowers to sandals and underpants, charcuterie, pies, champagne, sunglasses, books, oysters or paintbrushes.
From Fundación La Nave Salinas: "Pedro celebrates the joy of living. Art historical echoes run through the work, and like 17th Century vanitas painters, Pedro stages luxuriant bouquets, extravagant food platters, jewelry and timepieces—symbols of time's passage. But whereas traditional still lifes whisper memento mori—remember you must die—Pedro flips the script: remember to live."
Pedro Pedro (b. 1986 Florida) is based in Los Angeles and has exhibited at The Hole since 2019, first in the group show Post Analog Studio, then in solo exhibitions Still Life (2020), Cataloupe and Kokomo (2021) and most recently Table, Fruits, Flowers and Cakes (2023) in Los Angeles, plus group shows Second Smile and Nature Morte. He has presented solo booths at ZONA Maco in Mexico City and NADA Miami, and been in group shows with Nicodim, Anat Ebgi and The Garage Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Pedro’s work has been reviewed recently in Interview, Lampoon Magazine and Hyperallergic.
About Fundación La Nave Salinas
Fundación La Nave Salinas is a non-profit foundation in Ibiza, Spain. It was founded in 2015 by art patron Lio Malca, and it has been under the directorship of Isaac Malca since 2022. Housed in a former salt warehouse in the salt pans of Ibiza, the foundation was created as a space that makes contemporary art accessible to the public. Lio Malca’s connection to Ibiza spans more than 20 years, and La Nave is a way for the collector to give back to the island’s community. With an exhibition space of over 8,000 square feet, the foundation is devoted to showcasing exciting curatorial projects and monumental installations of contemporary art on a yearly basis.
The ambitious programming is paired with extensive educational initiatives, including guided tours and teaching workshops for local schools. These activities aim to bring contemporary art closer to people of all ages, serving close to 1,000 children every summer. Perhaps most important to the foundation’s mission is that admission to La Nave Salinas and all programs are free of charge. La Nave Salinas has presented solo exhibitions by artists Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Marco Brambilla, Bill Viola, KAWS, Rafa Macarrón, Eva Beresin, Jonny Niesche, Mai Blanco, and Spencer Lewis.
Visit us to learn more about the foundation: en.lanavesalinas.org
Pedro Pedro, Basket with Pomegranate, Yellow Flowers, Wine and Tarts, 2024, textile paint on linen, 84x66 inches, 213x167 cm.
Pedro Pedro, Plate with Cakes, Cinnamon Rolls, Eclairs, Cherry Pie and Spoon, 2024, textile paint on linen, 84x66 inches, 213x167 cm.
Pedro Pedro, Wood Bowl with Citrus, Sandwich, Sunglasses and Watch, 2024, textile paint on linen, 84x66 inches, 213x167 cm.
Pedro Pedro, Wood Bowl with Melon, Tomato Slices, Martini and Shell, 2024, textile paint on linen, 84x66 inches, 213x167 cm.
Pedro Pedro, Wood Bowl with Strawberry Cake, Flowers, Melon and Grapefruit, 2024, textile paint on linen, 84x66 inches, 213x167 cm.