Geppy Pisanelli: Hidden Lights

Geppy Pisanelli: Hidden Lights
14th February, 2025 – 15th March, 2025
GR gallery
255 Bowery
New York City

GR gallery is proud to announce the opening of Hidden Lights, a solo exhibition by Italian visual artist Geppy Pisanelli, on February 14th. Building on the success of his 2023 group exhibition Dreaming Awake at GR gallery, Pisanelli’s latest series emerges from both a narrative and compositional need to explore the dynamic interplay between nature and artifice.

Specifically, the artist’s focus is the formalization of works that contrast natural elements—such as water beds, trees, mountains, and waterfalls—with artificial elements, including minimal structures, shelters, and artificial lighting. This juxtaposition highlights the relationship between nature and human-made artifice, placing artificial objects in unexpected natural settings.

These compositions trigger a sense of alienation, both visually and intellectually, which is also reflected in the exhibition’s title, Hidden Lights. The title itself presents an oxymoron: light, typically associated with visibility and illumination, is described as hidden, creating a contrast central to the works. Through this layered effect of visibility and obscurity, Pisanelli achieves a carefully balanced pictorial composition of shapes, subjects, and content in relation to each other.

Regarding the contents, the interplay between light and darkness is explored not just as a retinal perception but also as a reflection of the human inner condition. Despite references to nature in these paintings, the works can also be interpreted as depicting an intimate state. They portray an external space that simultaneously mirrors an internal one—a space of human existence that is both conceptual and theatrical.

These “threshold images,” as Pisanelli calls them, draw viewers into theatrical landscapes that explore human nature and societal conflicts. The narratives within his works, oscillating between abandonment and hope, solitude and community, resonate deeply with contemporary global challenges such as pandemics, migrations, wars, and climate change.

“It is, in fact, emblematic that in my last series of works, the events depicted visually quote the incipit that David H. Lawrence prophetically composed in 1928,” says Geppy Pisanelli. Reflecting on our tragic era, he adds, “Lawrence suggested resilience and new beginnings amidst devastation with his words:

‘Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes.’ These words deeply resonate with me, encapsulating the spirit of renewal amidst tumult that I aim to capture in my work.”

A hallmark of Pisanelli’s artistry is his ability to create archetypal images. At first glance, his paintings may appear as realistic depictions, but they gradually unveil layers of metaphorical and mental associations. These works act as conduits for contemplation, inviting viewers to explore the expressive potential of painting as a medium for analyzing human existence and the multifaceted nature of reality.

Hidden Lights offers an immersive experience that challenges perceptions and inspires reflection.

Geppy Pisanelli: Hidden Lights opens on the 14th of February, 2025 until the 15th of March, 2025
at GR gallery

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