In his first solo exhibition in Germany at Schinkel Pavillon titled The Burden of Papa Tonnerre, French artist Pol Taburet (b. 1997) presents new paintings, bronze sculptures, and a tailored scenography exploring transformation, identity, and light-shadow interplay. His work blends classical painting, surrealism, and symbolism, creating hybrid figures that blur human and animal forms, rendered with airbrushed gradients and precise brushstrokes. These figures, oscillating between presence and absence, reflect shifting identities and psychological states. The pavilion’s architecture—enclosed below, open above—echoes the contrasts in Taburet’s art, highlighting themes of concealment and revelation. His bronze sculptures extend these themes into three dimensions, embodying metamorphosis and duality. Central to the exhibition is the myth of Papa Tonnerre, a mute confessor who trades relics for speech, only to betray his village’s secrets in rage, leading to his exile. Taburet’s work thus probes the burdens of truth and the cost of transformation. The exhibition runs until July 13, 2025.
The Schinkel Pavillon, located in Berlin’s historic center, is a unique art institution housed in a distinctive octagonal building designed by Richard Paulick in 1969. Situated in the Kronprinzenpalais garden off Unter den Linden. The pavilion hosts contemporary sculpture, installation, and media art, with exhibitions often responding to its singular architecture. Its history traces back to 1918, when Ludwig Justi established the world’s first contemporary art section at the Kronprinzenpalais for the Berlin National Gallery, showcasing significant works, primarily expressionist. This section was closed by the National Socialists, who deemed the art ‘degenerate.’ Post-World War II, the reconstructed pavilion became a social venue for Erich Honecker. Today, it thrives as a vibrant platform for contemporary art while standing as an eccentric monument to DDR architecture.
Pol Taburet: The Burden of Papa Tonnerre / Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin. Berlin (Germany), May 2, 2025.
The Schinkel Pavillon, located in Berlin’s historic center, is a unique art institution housed in a distinctive octagonal building designed by Richard Paulick in 1969. Situated in the Kronprinzenpalais garden off Unter den Linden. The pavilion hosts contemporary sculpture, installation, and media art, with exhibitions often responding to its singular architecture. Its history traces back to 1918, when Ludwig Justi established the world’s first contemporary art section at the Kronprinzenpalais for the Berlin National Gallery, showcasing significant works, primarily expressionist. This section was closed by the National Socialists, who deemed the art ‘degenerate.’ Post-World War II, the reconstructed pavilion became a social venue for Erich Honecker. Today, it thrives as a vibrant platform for contemporary art while standing as an eccentric monument to DDR architecture.
Pol Taburet: The Burden of Papa Tonnerre / Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin. Berlin (Germany), May 2, 2025.
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