Pendleton and Tàpies in Dialogue at Alfonso Artiaco, Naples

In Naples, Alfonso Artiaco is hosting a dual exhibition featuring Adam Pendleton alongside Antoni Tàpies, which will continue until June 20, 2026. This showcase delves into the surprising connections between the two artists, transcending both time and place, with a particular emphasis on painting as a medium where language, material, and history converge. Tàpies, a pivotal figure in postwar European abstraction, is celebrated for his dynamic surfaces adorned with signs, letters, and tactile layers, utilizing materials such as sand, marble dust, earth, and fabric. His art, linked to the Catalan avant-garde and the Dau al Set group, arose in the wake of the Spanish Civil War and during Franco's regime. Pendleton, a prominent contemporary abstract painter, incorporates gesture, fragment, and typography as foundational components, evolving non-linear compositional practices. Since 2008, he has articulated his approach as Black Dada, a critical lens examining Blackness, abstraction, and historical avant-gardes. The exhibition fosters a dialogue across generations rather than asserting a direct lineage, presenting painting as a flexible medium open to language, history, and material innovation.