▲ L'Albatros, Acrylic on canvas, Dimensions variable ⓒ Latifa Echakhch, Pace Gallery

Seoul, June 28 – Pace Gallery announces the debut of Latifa Echakhch's first solo exhibition in Asia, titled "Les Albatros," running from June 28 to August 17, 2024.

The exhibition, hosted at Pace Gallery's Seoul location on Itaewon-ro, will feature five new paintings by Latifa Echakhch that explore contemporary interpretations of landscape painting.

Known for her interdisciplinary approach integrating painting, sculpture, and sound, Latifa Echakhch challenges traditional boundaries and engages with socio-political themes through her artwork.

▲ The portrait of the artist ⓒ Pace Gallery

"Les Albatros" transforms the gallery's ground floor into an immersive space, presenting canvases unstretched and draped to reveal their verso sides. This unconventional display blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior, nature and artifice.

Drawing inspiration from the motif of landscape, which has historically carried symbolic and allegorical meanings in art, Latifa Echakhch has previously exhibited works like "Le Jardin Mécanique" and "Romance," probing the role of the artist in contemporary society.

The title of the exhibition, "Les Albatros," draws from Charles Baudelaire's poem of the same name, reflecting on the isolation and misunderstanding faced by artists. Latifa Echakhch's interpretation is mirrored in her canvases, draped like the albatross ensnared by sailors.

▲ The installation view of the exhibition, Le Jardin Mécanique ⓒ NMNM

Visual inspiration for "Les Albatros" stems from mature Virginia Oak trees observed by Latifa Echakhch during a recent visit to Houston, Texas. Abstracting the aging branches through gestural painting techniques, she creates a visual dialogue that transcends traditional landscape representation.

In this exhibition, Latifa Echakhch's paintings are characterized by minimalist abstraction, focusing on simplified scenes that prompt introspection and invite viewers to contemplate deeper meanings. 

▲ The installation view of the exhibition, Romance ⓒ Peruffo JewelryBy obscuring the depicted trees and presenting the verso of her canvases in uneven black, Latifa Echakhch challenges viewers to engage in a psychoanalytic exploration of her artwork.

Born in El Khnansa, Morocco in 1974 and currently based in Switzerland, Latifa Echakhch has garnered international acclaim for her exhibitions worldwide, including prestigious awards such as the Marcel Duchamp Prize and the Zurich Art Prize.

Pace Gallery, known for its support of contemporary artists and collections, continues to foster global artistic innovation through its diverse gallery locations in major art capitals.

Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com