PARIS.- From 20 October to 23 December 2016, VNH Gallery & Galleria Continua present RESPECT, a multifaceted exhibition developed in three phases and focusing on one of the principle figures of Arte Povera: Michelangelo Pistoletto.

Organised in three main sections relating to art, education and politics, RESPECT identifies the fundamentals that drive the artist's approach in his quest for the "Third Paradise" - that elusive point of equilibrium that exists at the junction of two opposite yet related concepts: nature/ artifice, feminine/masculine, individual/society, reason/emotion, democracy/tyranny.

Beginning outside the gallery, a large representation of Pistoletto’s emblematic "Third Paradise" symbol initiates a retrospective consisting of historical works that highlight the multidisciplinary practice of the Italian artist.

In addition, 23 mirrors have been set up and subsequently shattered as part of a performance by the artist, who thus reveals the word "RESPECT" in the world’s most spoken languages.

The political dimension are present through an exploration of the concepts of democracy and tyranny through two historical works deriving from Pistoletto’s 1975 performances "Raggi di Persone" and "La Conferenza", both of which remain particularly relevant.

RESPECT is the most important exhibition of Michelangelo Pistoletto in Paris since the Louvre Museum’s 2013 show, organized by Marie-Laure Bernadac in collaboration with the GALLERIA CONTINUA. RESPECT is the second collaboration between VNH Gallery and the GALLERIA CONTINUA. Both venues share the same desire to show a selection of artists from different generations and backgrounds working across various modes of expression: performance, poetry reading, discussion, etc.

RESPECT is presented following exhibitions and projects dedicated to Friedrich Kunath, Kris Martin, Mircea Cantor, Eduardo Basualdo, Pascale-Marthine Tayou, Benoit Maire, Olivier Mosset, and Mai-Thu Perret.