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What You Need to Know: Earlier this year, Almine Rech gallery announced the opening of a new location in the Principality of Monaco within the tony Carré d’Or district. First opened to the public in May, the new location is the 11th international gallery space for the gallery, which maintains its footprint in Paris, Brussels, London, New York, Shanghai, and Gstaad, in addition to institutional collaborations in Venice. This summer, Almine Rech Monaco is presenting an explorative, contemplative group show that sees artworks that engage with two commonly held understandings of nature within Western culture, Orphic and Promethean. On view through August 24, 2024, “Nature’s Reflections” juxtaposes these two perspectives, and offers new insight into both overarching considerations of nature, as well as ideas around the future of the planet and environment—particularly in a time of heightened climate uncertainty.
Why We Like It: Nature has been a perennial inspiration and influence for artists for centuries, taken and interpreted through unique artistic visions and practices. Within “Nature’s Reflections,” the multiplicity of these interpretations is emphasized, and together present a unique, multifaceted investigation of Orphic, emphasizing human’s relationship with nature, and Promethean, focusing on human’s control of nature, understandings through the lens of visual art. Included pieces like drawings from Thu Van Tran’s series “Trail Dust” employs motifs of billowing dust to tap into different forms of memory—historical, economic, and political. Elsewhere, a painting by Miquel Barceló, Untitled (2021), experiments with light outside of fixed reality, offering multiple perspectives simultaneously. And the show has a strong presence of sculpture, including a work by Johan Creten, Odore di Femmina – L’heure Bleue (2022), comprised of numerous, overlapping layers set in stoneware that appear to roil and drip. Taken together, the show offers viewers a meandering journey through nature reflected in art—and invites considerations of its reflection beyond.
According to the Gallery: “The Principality of Monaco has historically captivated artists and art collectors from the early 20th century to today. In this inviting cultural context, the gallery has been present in Monaco for the past few years, participating in artmonte-carlo art fair and fostering connections with collectors, institutions, and more. I’m delighted to now welcome all of them to this new space, which allows the gallery to further develop its long-lasting relationships within the city and its surrounding area.” —Almine Rech
See inside the exhibition and featured works below.
Thu Van Tran, Trail Dust No.3 (2021). Photo: Ana Drittanti. Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech.
Installation view of “Nature’s Reflections” (2024). Photo: Eleonora Paciullo. Courtesy of Almine Rech, Monaco.
Miquel Barceló, Untitled (2021). Photo: Serge Hassenböhler Fotografie. Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech.
Installation view of “Nature’s Reflections” (2024). Photo: Eleonora Paciullo. Courtesy of Almine Rech, Monaco.
Johan Creten, Odore di Femmina – l’Heure Bleue (2022). Photo: Nicolas Brasseur. Courtesy of Almine Rech.
“Nature’s Reflection” is on view at Almine Rech, Monaco, through August 24, 2024.