Michel Pérez Pollo's 'Double Gaze' at Mai 36 Galerie

Michel Pérez Pollo presents 'Double Gaze', his fourth exhibition at Mai 36 Galerie in Zurich, featuring new paintings derived from hand-worked clay and Play-Doh maquettes. The works, such as 'Double Offset' (2026) and 'Double Balance' (2026), present paired forms that challenge viewers to discern original from copy, a distinction the artist deliberately blurs. Pérez Pollo, born in Manzanillo in 1981 and trained in Holguín and at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, now based in Madrid, draws on Andalusian Baroque influences, particularly Zurbarán. His technique involves inventing objects from humble materials and painting them with convincing specificity, reversing the traditional observational process. The exhibition emphasizes the fundamentals of painting—shape, line, color, surface—while scrutinizing the act of looking itself. The works are characterized by light, seemingly careless gestures that betray a masterful control, offering a wry commentary on contemporary impatience with sustained attention.