The body of work that the PSJM collective is presenting at the Llamazares Gallery is part of their “clean future” series, which adopts an optimistic tone by representing future scenarios where renewable energies become dominant. To achieve this, they follow a unique aesthetic procedure, which the collective has named “social geometry,” where statistical data serves as the basis for minimalist compositions.

These “social geometries” function as “temporal landscapes”—landscapes that, in the face of imminent catastrophe, tell us that, as Blanca de la Torre wrote about this series, “understanding scientific data is not enough, and they remind us of the importance of art in visualizing a more habitable world.”

2050 is the deadline for our species to achieve zero CO2 emissions and complete the decarbonization process. The PSJM collective, a strong proponent of utopian thinking, views these future scenarios not as unattainable perfection but as a functional guide for ethical and political action. The collective’s optimism is rooted in scientific forecasts, serving as a necessary emotional element to inspire continued effort and progress. The works in this series feature flowing, comforting chromatic curves that symbolize our commitment to life.

In line with their sustainable practices, the artworks will be created using locally made ecological paint. “2050: Landscapes and Scenarios” includes a mural, nine paintings of various sizes, four drawings, and two sculptures made from polychrome wood. This project aligns with Rosalind Krauss’s concept of “painting in the expanded field,” as painting has always been central to PSJM’s conceptual work. In the “clean future” series, painting interacts with words, space, and matter to create highly significant images of great simplicity.

LOCATION:
Llamazares Gallery, Gijón

DATE:
December 2022 – January 2023

On one hand, the murals return to the essence and origin of painting: the wall. That’s how it all began—by marking a rock with a hand. On the other hand, the work is a nod to genre painting, updating two classic pictorial genres: historical painting, which is highly valued by academia and is present here through diachronic visions, and landscape, which is most valued in easel painting. These pieces are, therefore, “temporal landscapes” that function as social, ecological, political, and ethical critiques, expressed through beauty.

‘Solar self-consumption (self-consumption energy, surplus energy, grid supply)’, Eco-friendly wall painting, 280 x 512 cm, PSJM 2022