Ariana Papademetropoulos's Dreamlike Paintings at MASSIMODECARLO Milan

Ariana Papademetropoulos (b. 1990, Los Angeles) presents a solo exhibition at Casa Corbellini-Wassermann, the Milanese venue of Galleria MASSIMODECARLO. The show features 2024 canvases that oscillate between hyperrealism and the surreal, depicting interiors with meticulous detail against dark blue backgrounds. Works include 'If there were an ocean big enough' (a planet plunging into a stormy sea), 'Domestic Cat' (a partially translucent feline with green eyes), and sensual female figures with pointed ears or wings, as seen in 'Isabelle under the Blue Hour' and 'Celestial Penance'. The artist describes her practice as 'psychic-specific', drawing on Carl Jung's collective unconscious, Greek mythology, and California's occult and esoteric culture. The exhibition's title references 'Born under Saturn' (1963) by Margot and Rudolf Wittkower. An installation features three payphones from the defunct Tropicana casino in Las Vegas, housed in shell-shaped structures, allowing visitors to hear conversations between Papademetropoulos and medium Wendy. The works explore the concept of 'umwelt'—the sensory bubble that shapes perception—and aim to reconnect viewers with mystery in an age of technological disenchantment and ecological crisis.