R+V is pleased to announce our next exhibition of the St. Moritz Season, with Monegasque artist Philippe Pastor, entitled Bleu Pastor. Born in 1961, Pastor's practice is motivated by a passion to preserve our planet’s natural environments, and he is the only artist to represent the Principality of Monaco on an international stage, at the Venice Biennale (2007 and 2009), and at Expo 2015, Milan.
Bleu Pastor brings together over fifteen of the artist’s signature abstract paintings, made from carefully-sourced raw pigment, and examples of his internationally-exhibited sculpture series, Les Arbres Brûlés (The Burnt Trees). Across the first two rooms of the exhibition, works from the Bleu Monochrome series immerse the viewer in an atmosphere dominated by the colour blue, inspiring a sense of awe, but also of quiet reflection. These paintings evoke the purity of the oceans, alluding to the fragility of these great ecosystems.
The third room is dedicated to another pressing concern for the artist: the melting of sea ice. Four large canvases evoke the polar extremes of our planet, creating an inescapable sense of motion, that is at once beautiful and terrifying. Examples of sculptures from Les Arbres Brûlés series stand alongside these monumental paintings, memorials to forests lost through man’s actions. Together, the works create a dramatic climax that resonates with the mountainous landscape of the Engadine region; a reminder of our responsibility to care for the natural world that may stay with us long after leaving the galleries.
In collaboration with The Princess Charlène of Monaco Foundation, this exhibition seeks to create a deep connection between art and action. The Foundation shares a commitment to fostering a sustainable future for every child, with specific mission to fight against drowning fatalities, providing water safety education and teaching swimming skills worldwide. This partnership with Philippe Pastor aims to increase visitor awareness through powerful artwork conversations that urge positive change.
