Jorge Pardo & Pae White

On the second level of Plataforma, Let’s See is presented, an exhibition that brings together the work of two artists who have woven a friendship over thirty years: Jorge Pardo (Havana, Cuba, 1963) and Pae White (Los Angeles, USA, 1963). The exhibition presents projects that both artists produced independently, although in conceptual dialogue, culminating in a fortuitous and organic encounter.

On February 2nd at 1:00 PM, there will be a conversation with Jorge Pardo, Pae White, and José Noé Suro, followed by a guided tour.

The works met for the first time during the installation of this exhibition, but they reflect a history of shared complicity from the early years of both their artistic careers in Los Angeles. Pardo and White invite us to relate to their work, considering light, echoes and architecture as active agents that shape a unique experience: created, consumed and shared, which moves from the space-time context of the viewer. Let’s See proposes letting visual curiosity and emotional impulses guide our interpretation of what we observe. It encourages us to come closer and notice how the work intuitively prompts reflection on our reactions to both familiar and unfamiliar objects. These works evoke memories, challenge our perceptions, and inspire us to imagine them in new worlds. What may at first seem obtuse becomes fascinating upon closer examination.

Jorge Pardo (Havana, Cuba, 1963) studied at the University of Illinois and earned his BFA at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His work explores the intersection between painting, design, sculpture, and architecture, using a broad palette of vibrant colors and natural and industrial materials. Pardo transforms familiar objects into works with multiple meanings, such as lamps that function as sculptures or a sailboat displayed as a utilitarian and artistic object. He works on both small and monumental scales, turning public spaces into canvases.

She has had solo exhibitions at venues such as the Pinacoteca de Estado São Paulo (2019), Hacienda la Rojeña, Tequila, MX (2019), and Gagosian Gallery, New York (2010). Her work is in the collections of the Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, LACMA, MoMA, and the Whitney Museum. She has received awards such as the MacArthur Fellowship Award (2010) and the Smithsonian Lucelia Artist Award (2001). She currently lives and works in Mérida, Mexico.

Pae White (Los Angeles, 1963) creates works through experimentation with materials, combining high technology and traditional craftsmanship with everyday and ephemeral themes. Her work encompasses sculpture, painting, installation, furniture, architecture, and graphic design, exploring the forgotten and the neglected, as well as the spaces between things. She uses common materials in unusual ways, such as neon, ceramics, and bird seed, and adapts centuries-old techniques with digital technology, as in her tapestry series.

She has had solo exhibitions at venues such as the Elvira González Gallery, Madrid (2024), Kaufmann Repetto, Milan (2022), and the San José Museum of Art, USA (2019-2020). She has participated in the Whitney Biennial, the Venice Biennale, and the Skulptur Projekte Münster. Her work is in prominent collections such as MoMA, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, LACMA, and SFMOMA. She has also created important public works, such as at the Oslo Opera House and Los Angeles International Airport. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

— Plataforma