CIRCA 0
solo exhibition by Matthieu Pommier
15.11.24 - 31.01.25
with the collaboration of
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
The human presence, its relationship with nature and the manufactured object are central themes in Matthieu Pommier’s work: the human being becomes a fleeting figure in an ecosystem where nature, machinery and architecture coexist.
“Circa 0” combines the two favorite creative realms of the French artist: a large-format mural intervention and a selection of his most recent oil paintings. The project focuses on observing play as a field of learning within a context of simulated conflict; a learned theatricality for recreational purposes where adults play as children, and children assume adult roles.
Meanwhile, the depicted characters take over natural spaces invaded by man-made objects, creating scenarios of apparent decay turned into ideal grounds for playful activities where power dynamics play a central role in the construction of identity.
To create these images, the artist draws on photographs taken during various travels, which he later reinterprets by adding or removing elements through drawing. Rhythmic strokes structure a brushstroke applied in broad layers of color and it’s repeated in order to create the image as a digital tool with sensitivity would do, bringing a contemporary continuity to neo-impressionist divisionist painting.
Matthieu Pommier's work lies on the border of the visible and the invisible, the ephemeral and the eternal, and invites us to reflect on the toxic relationship humans maintain with their environment. Tropical landscapes, circus motifs, card games and vintage airplanes intertwine in compositions that allude to the cyclical and the uncertain.
“Circa 0” stands as a space for contemplation and play, a starting point where past and present converge to question temporal references: a beginning or an end of a cycle that functions as a symbol of closure, but also of commencement.
With this exhibition, Pommier envisions a world where the fleeting and volatile nature of humanity is integrated into natural settings charged with artificiality. The artist thus invites collective participation in a reflection on permanence and transience, and the ability to reconstruct shared experience through illusion and play.
Manuela Medina
ABOUT MATTHIEU POMMIER
Matthieu Pommier began painting walls in the early ‘00s in western France. The maritime and industrial landscapes were his first source of inspiration and permeate his early work.
His work describes human behavior through the prism of the object, architecture, or through the representation of crowds and characters. In his work, Matth Velvet combines his memories and personal experiences with a rigorous observation of his surroundings, to create a visual world that is both dreamlike and pragmatic. The narrative dimension is always present in his plastic works, leaving the audience open to interpretation.
