PABLO MESA CAPELLA

ARTIST OF WORLD PEACE AND MEMORY (HUMANITY’S AND INDIVIDUAL)

 

 

 

 

Pablo Mesa Capella was born in Spain in 1982 and currently lives in Malaga but for many years he had lived and worked in Rome. His educational journey started with the theatre scenography. He is an artist who with each exhibition re-discovers himself by going back to memory of his happy childhood memories at Malagueñon. His inner world, his childish games and discoveries explore of the present world, the world he observes very carefully. Pablo unites ideas creating unusual visions and moving flexibly from micro (“Oniric nature. The Object Memory” at the Temporary Gallery) to the macrocosms of his imagination.

The key message of his art is space and contrast (ideas, materials, symbols). The artist, as he revealed to me, is influenced by the Baroque but not always. In June, last year, he presented his famous installation, “Deus Ex Machina” and it has nothing to do with a baroque style. In this group exhibition in Turin (Italy) intitled “Holy Mystery” he exhibited a provocative “Totem” of steel called “Crislamesimo” with which touches on the confrontation between two religions, Christianity and Islam. Among the other international names at the exposè were Revered E. Acres, P. Albertelli, C. Badelita, H. Fletcher, F. Nonino, J. Vallance.

I met Pablo in May 2015 during his second exhibition entitled, “Botanic Water” in Rome in Via Giulia at the Multimedia Art Gallery organised by Martina Adami where he played with ephemeral life. It was not our first encounter. I met him a few years ago in MAAM Gallery in via Prenestina in front of his opera “The Porcine Capella” and I talked to him recently, after his return to his Spanish home. During our Roman interview, Pablo talked about his world with the informal charm typical of artists. Walking through the historic center of the Eternal City we chatted about the chapters of his life focusing on his latest exhibitions and his new life in Malaga or … anywhere.

You are a Spanish artist but for a long time you have lived in Italy, in Rome. How did you happen to decide to leave your home town, Malaga?

Actually, as an artist I was born in Rome.  In Malaga, my birt place, I studied The Theatre Direction and Scenography and then Science of Comunication. During these last studies I came to Rome as an Erasmus student that was 5 years ago, which is how my adventure with Rome and art started. In Malaga I was a visual artist. I worked for theatres. Here in Rome I interacted with the galleries, I did some collective exhibitions and then in time proposals arrived and I started to exhibit by myself. Entire career as artist started in Rome.

Do you imagine your life out of Europe? In which city would you like to live?

I would like to travel and exhibit my works everywhere. I would like to travel and propose my projects in various cities as I could be known to the people and asked for by the people. Of course, I would like to live, but for a short time, in New York, to exhibit there.  After staying in Rome I came to the conclusion that I need a calm, intimate city. I would also go to Berlin for work. I have been there already many times. I am interested in urban art, so popular there. I have already worked on a similar project here in Rome on the mural “Capella Porcina” with another Spanish artist. I am open to installations, murals. Because I come from the theatrical stage design, I like to create spaces, surroundings and develop environments.

What is important for you in your work? How do you prepare for the installations?

Finding the right material is very important for me because the material contains the meaning. As always my creative process is influenced by my past in the theatre, by images. The theatre I’ve done in Malaga included the works of Garcia Lorca, Ionesco or in general, the Theatre of Absurd. As an artist I am very baroque. I fill the little spaces with pictures or objects as I did in “Oniric Nature”, Roman exhibition. I create a dramaturgy as in a theatre. I tell the stories with space and scenography. Normally I follow one image that I see every day; that inspires me, then I look for the materials, work my idea and then propose the project to a gallery or association, and then I adapt my idea to the new situation, to their spaces.

From 18 April to 19 June 2015 you have participated in a group exhibition “Holy Mystery” in Turin, Italy. What was the meaning of your work?

The exhibition in Turin was collective, very eclectic (paintings, installations ecc.) and organized at the  Congress center of the Church of Holy Face. I exhibited there with famous artists, it was very interesting.  The theme was sacred and mystery but from the point of view of an artist, not a church. To this exhibition I brought an old piece shown in 2013 in Pigneto, Rome, named “Deus ex machina”.This opera I chose for this occasion. It was a totem, iron work in steel of three meters. Totem is a symbol, it is no longer Baroque art like I used to do. It is another language and meaning: iron is hard, survives through time like religion. Here I played with the symbol of the Christianity and Islam: we have here a cristian cross and the half moon of Islam. I created an imaginary symbol mixing that two religions. I did it to initiate a dialogue between these two cultures and to ask the question: why? Why we are in conflict? We do we kill? Why do we conduct war?  That is a very contemporary problem. Totem is also a polygamic religion symbol. I mixed all the religions to find an answer for my question. All religions become one in my art.

Let’s talk now about your other project, “Botanic Water”, a very innovative exhibition you organized in Rome, in May, 2015.

It was an ephemeral installation in a gallery space and it was, for the first time, a work with water. It was definitely something new. I like it when my installations involve the public. This time I showed my work made by water, flowers and plants but lasted only a week. I gathered the plants, placed them in a plastic bag, walking around Rome. This way I created a symmetrical design, a natural encyclopedia in three dimensions. I knew that after this exhibition would remain only a photo documentation. For me it was important to create not something that will last but something to be remembered, an emotion. The idea for this work came watching nature. Comparising water, as living material, to the plastic, fake material, was a curious game. I have been always a big enthusiast of plants and gardens.

I see you as a contrast artist but how do you see yourself? What constitutes your artistic essence?

I like to walk, or ride a bicycle, and observe continuously. I often come back to the same place. Daily living inspires me. When some image, emotion repeats in my head I get an idea for work and realize my vision  to present it to the people. Whoever knows me and my last works, knows that memory is present in my art. Especially my childhood, olfactory memory, everything  comes back to me in my art. Through my art I know myself better and I play  as when I was a little boy but this time, the game is much more profound..

PHOTO GALLERY @ Pablo’s Portrait by Joanna Longawa