Paul Thorel Prize Winners and Blind Spot Exhibition at Gallerie d'Italia, Naples

The Fondazione Paul Thorel has inaugurated two exhibitions in Naples. The first, titled 'L’undicesima casa' at Gallerie d’Italia, showcases works by the winners of the inaugural Paul Thorel Prize: Lina Pallotta, Jim C. Nedd, and the collective Clusterduck. The prize aims to promote digital image language, echoing the legacy of electronic photography pioneer Paul Thorel. Pallotta's photography focuses on marginalized individuals, Nedd's work captures primal human connections in natural settings, and Clusterduck creates digital collages critiquing web visual culture. The exhibition's title references the astrological eleventh house, symbolizing social balance and friendship. The second exhibition, 'Blind Spot' at the Fondazione Thorel, features international artists Shezad Dawood, Claire Fontaine (duo formed in 2004), and Sigmar Polke. It explores the concept of the blind spot, inspired by physicist Edme Mariotte, and includes Thorel's 'Cairo Crowds' (2011) documenting the Arab Spring via YouTube. Dawood examines East-West dichotomies, Claire Fontaine critiques geopolitical networks, and Polke's mixed-media performance challenges bourgeois norms. Both exhibitions run concurrently in Naples.