In his first solo show at Galeria Leme, Paulo Almeida shows works specially developed for the occasion, made during December and January, in annex studio of the gallery.
The artist presents a large-scale canvas, depicting the gallery space from the viewpoint of where the canvas is placed. It’s being repainted with all the exhibitions that have taken place there since its inauguration (17.11.2004) until the end of the last exhibition preceding this one (13.01.2007), based on the gallery’s photographic archive. The result is the summation of 17 interventions on the same canvas.
The painting’s dynamics are explored similarly to the Palimpsests Series, recently exhibited at Rumos Itaú, 2006, and also at Paralela, 2006. However, this time, the represented space remains fixed, overlaying the works that occupied the represented space. Analogously, the canvas not only reproduces its image but also its functions.
Moreover, the gallery itself transitions from merely hosting artworks to becoming part of the painting, creating oppositions and contrasts between the full canvas that portrays “Pleno” (Arman) and the empty space (Yves Klein). This establishes a continuity in projecting the gallery space, thus forcing a relationship between the viewer and the artwork, placing them at the boundary of these two situations.
On the upper floor, smaller canvases will be displayed, depicting sections of walls with randomly selected paintings that previously occupied that specific place for a certain period, as suggested by the title.