Spotlight: ‘The Echo of Picasso’ Charts the Epic Impact of the Spanish Artist

Almine Rech has dedicated both of its New York galleries to contemporary and historic responses to the artist's work.

Installation view of "The Echo of Picasso" (2023), Almine Rech New York, Tribeca. Photo: Thomas Barratt. Courtesy of the artists, the estates, and Almine Rech.

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What You Need to Know: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), the renowned Spanish painter who is considered one of—if not the—most influential artists of the 20th century. To mark the occasion, Almine Rech gallery is presenting a diverse, two-part group exhibition across both its locations on the Upper East Side in New York, and as one of the inaugural shows at its new Tribeca space. Curated by French art critic Eric Troncy, and on view through December 16, 2023, “The Echo of Picasso” examines dual perspectives on Picasso’s legacy: the first revisits the art historical period wherein the artist’s contemporaries challenged his work, and the second from the point of view of today’s living artists whose work “echoes” Picasso’s oeuvre. The exhibition includes examples of rare works by Picasso, such as Glass of Absinthe (1914), which is one of only six extant sculptures and on loan from Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, and contemporary masters, including works by Willem de Kooning, Jeff Koons, David Hockney, Urs Fischer, and more.

Why We Like It: A testament to Picasso’s creative genius is the seemingly unending ability to revisit and reassess his work from myriad perspectives and continually draw new insight and conclusions, both about his practice and his reverberating legacy. Almine Rech has maintained an ongoing commitment to Picasso, not only evidenced by the current exhibitions but “Celebrating Picasso Today: Infinite Modernism,” held at the gallery’s London location early this autumn, and the forthcoming “Picasso: unique etchings from the Crommelynck studio” opening in Gstaad later this month. “The Echo of Picasso” draws sharp focus on two significant and intriguing facets of the artists life and practice, the reactions it inspired in his contemporaries and, subsequently, its effect on the following generations of artists. Through the various juxtapositions of artworks by Picasso and others and highlighting of rare and important pieces from the Picasso’s oeuvre, the show promises to bring to light new understandings of the seminal artist’s work.

According to the Gallery: “The gallery has embraced a transgenerational approach since its inception. The ‘Echo of Picasso’ exhibition reflects our commitment to fostering a dialogue between contemporary artists of the 21st century and masters of the 20th century. With the recent opening of our Tribeca gallery, we sought to provide artists with a space where they are encouraged to explore and push the boundaries of their artistic missions. The ‘Echo of Picasso’ presentation, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death, has allowed us to do just that.” —Founder Almine Rech

See inside both exhibitions below.

Installation view of “The Echo of Picasso” (2023), Almine Rech New York, Tribeca. Photo: Thomas Barratt. Courtesy of the artists, the estates, and Almine Rech.

Installation view of “The Echo of Picasso” (2023), Almine Rech New York, Tribeca. Photo: Thomas Barratt. Courtesy of the artists, the estates, and Almine Rech.

Installation view of “The Echo of Picasso” (2023), Almine Rech New York, Upper East Side. Photo: Thomas Barratt. Courtesy of the artists, the estates, and Almine Rech.

Installation view of “The Echo of Picasso” (2023), Almine Rech New York, Upper East Side. Photo: Thomas Barratt. Courtesy of the artists, the estates, and Almine Rech.

Installation view of “The Echo of Picasso” (2023), Almine Rech New York, Upper East Side. Photo: Thomas Barratt. Courtesy of the artists, the estates, and Almine Rech.

The Echo of Picasso” is on view at Almine Rech Upper East Side and Tribeca, New York, through December 16, 2023.