Jorge Pardo's latest exhibition at Petzel Gallery is a masterclass in sensory engagement, inviting viewers to participate in a "phenomenology of the senses" that blurs the lines between art, design, and optics. The Cuban-born artist's immersive environments and installations are characterized by their use of light, color, and form, which come together to create an experiential world that challenges our perceptions.
At the heart of Pardo's practice lies a curiosity about how different objects can activate psychological, cognitive, emotional, and mnemonic responses in viewers. He achieves this by playing with the ways objects can turn into symbols, reactions, and messages, generating meaning in the process. This approach is reminiscent of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology, which emphasizes the embodied nature of perception and places viewers in sensorial environments that require physical navigation and awareness.
Pardo's use of lamps as a key element in his work is particularly noteworthy. These objects not only provide light but also shape it, creating an environment that can be molded and transformed. For Pardo, shaping light in space is itself a generative gesture, akin to making drawings or painting in the air. He sees lamps as a way to exercise control over the visual experience, allowing viewers to navigate and engage with his installations on multiple levels.
The artist's process is characterized by a fluidity between different media and disciplines. Pardo often works digitally since the mid-1990s, but he does not see technology as a replacement for traditional mediums. Rather, it is another tool through which he can develop creative output and explore new possibilities of image. This approach is reflected in his use of digital tools to create complex compositions that blend art historical sources from various periods.
At its core, Pardo's work is an exercise in phenomenology that also serves as an epistemology. He explores how the senses, intertwined with psychological, cognitive, and cultural dimensions, create an ontology. The experience of seeing becomes a philosophical and epistemological act, one that invites viewers to question the essence of reality: what we see, what we experience, who we are in relation to it.
Ultimately, Pardo's art is about making optics—for ourselves first, as artists—and pushing us to question our assumptions about the world. His work is a tool to think with, one that heightens awareness of experience itself and encourages viewers to participate in the process of creating meaning.
At the heart of Pardo's practice lies a curiosity about how different objects can activate psychological, cognitive, emotional, and mnemonic responses in viewers. He achieves this by playing with the ways objects can turn into symbols, reactions, and messages, generating meaning in the process. This approach is reminiscent of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology, which emphasizes the embodied nature of perception and places viewers in sensorial environments that require physical navigation and awareness.
Pardo's use of lamps as a key element in his work is particularly noteworthy. These objects not only provide light but also shape it, creating an environment that can be molded and transformed. For Pardo, shaping light in space is itself a generative gesture, akin to making drawings or painting in the air. He sees lamps as a way to exercise control over the visual experience, allowing viewers to navigate and engage with his installations on multiple levels.
The artist's process is characterized by a fluidity between different media and disciplines. Pardo often works digitally since the mid-1990s, but he does not see technology as a replacement for traditional mediums. Rather, it is another tool through which he can develop creative output and explore new possibilities of image. This approach is reflected in his use of digital tools to create complex compositions that blend art historical sources from various periods.
At its core, Pardo's work is an exercise in phenomenology that also serves as an epistemology. He explores how the senses, intertwined with psychological, cognitive, and cultural dimensions, create an ontology. The experience of seeing becomes a philosophical and epistemological act, one that invites viewers to question the essence of reality: what we see, what we experience, who we are in relation to it.
Ultimately, Pardo's art is about making optics—for ourselves first, as artists—and pushing us to question our assumptions about the world. His work is a tool to think with, one that heightens awareness of experience itself and encourages viewers to participate in the process of creating meaning.
! He's like a master of sensory engagement, you know? Like, have you ever walked into one of his installations and just felt like your brain is being tickled from all sides? 
It's like he's speaking directly to your eyeballs, man. And I love how he uses lamps as this kind of tool to shape the environment – it's so trippy! 
I mean, who needs screens when you can have light and color and form, right? 
Pardo's got this whole phenomenology thing down pat, where he's all about exploring how our senses interact with the world. It's like, totally philosophical, but also super accessible. And can we talk about his use of digital tools – it's like he's having a party in there! 
Anyway, I think Pardo's art is basically just an exercise in self-reflection, where you're invited to question everything and experience the world in a whole new way. Mind blown, dude.
and I gotta say, it blew my mind! Jorge Pardo's immersive environments are like stepping into a different world, you know? The way he plays with light, color, and form is pure genius 
. It got me thinking about how we experience art and reality together - it's not just about the visuals, but about what they make us feel 
. And his process is so fascinating, blending digital tools with traditional mediums... it's like he's pushing the boundaries of art itself 
.
. We get to decide what we see and how we interpret reality - just like we're supposed to make decisions about our governance.
. Like, can we just talk about the actual artwork or is it always about how deep and meaningful the artist's intentions are? 
I went to see Jorge Pardo's latest exhibition at Petzel Gallery and it was actually pretty cool... I mean, who wouldn't want to be surrounded by all that sick lighting and color? 
. Can we just enjoy the art without having to dissect every little detail? 
. Anyway, I think Pardo's work is more than just a pretty face – it's an invitation to slow down and really experience the world around us. That's something we can all get behind 
jorge pardo's use of light, color, and form is like a total game changer - he's got these immersive environments that make you feel like you're part of the art 
his use of light, color, and form is like a symphony for your eyeballs - it's like he's asking you to be a co-creator in the process of experiencing reality. and can we talk about how lamps as a medium are so underrated?!