Pastorello's Dual Exhibition in Sardinia Blends Neo Pop and Renaissance

Artist Pastorello (born Giovanni Manunta, Sassari, 1967) is the subject of two concurrent exhibitions in Sardinia: 'Tutto il peso del mondo' at the Galleria Comunale di Cagliari and 'Kolossoi. Pastorello nell’isola dei giganti' at the Foro Boario di Oristano. The Cagliari show, curated by Alessandra Menesini, features 20 significant works from the last two decades, exploring themes of ecological degradation and human anxiety through vibrant yet deceptive colorism. The Oristano exhibition, curated by Ivo Serafino Fenu, includes 60 paintings—several previously unseen—and a monumental installation, drawing on the colossal statues of Mont'e Prama. Pastorello's style fuses 13th-century panel painting, Renaissance classicism, Suprematism, Surrealism, and Magic Realism with Neo Pop and mass culture. The artist describes his process as a state of grace between figuration and abstraction, influenced by his self-invented technique combining tubular tag forms, Chinese painting, and Italian panel painting. Both shows aim to historicize his four-decade career, with no direct thematic link beyond that goal.