Diogo Pinto's First Solo Show at Monitor Gallery in Rome

Monitor Gallery in Rome opens its new season with 'Agenzia/Agência,' the first solo exhibition of Portuguese painter Diogo Pinto (b. 1993, Lisbon; lives in Basel, Switzerland). The show features nine works, all oil on canvas except 'The Architects' on gobelin fabric, created specifically for the exhibition. Pinto demonstrates remarkable stylistic range, from hyperrealistic pieces like 'Cork' (2025) and 'Platax' (2025) to painterly works like 'Crystal Clear' (2025) and 'Ponte' (2025), and even a comic-book register in 'Quality' (2025). The exhibition focuses on Lisbon's 1998 Expo, critiquing how the grand event created an illusion of change without real improvement for residents, echoing the famous line from 'The Leopard': 'If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.' Pinto's social criticism is delivered with sarcasm and irony but without aggression. The gallery, known for supporting young international painters, is led by Paola Capata alongside Gabriele Gaspari. The same exhibition is also held at Monitor Gallery's Portuguese location.