Featuring the green spaces of Atlanta, Portals presents the concept that industry, nature, and humanity can live cohesively by inviting viewers to imagine the potential of reconsidering the value of waste materials. This body of work is inspired by the artist's admiration for Atlanta's efforts to preserve and protect its green spaces, a sentiment that resonates with the local community. It highlights the unique beauty of the "City in the Trees" and the local community of artisans who contributed to its creation—Robert Downing (photo contribution), The Neon Company (neon), Fred Martin Welding (steel fabrication), ATL PrintMasters (printing and vinyl), Full Bloom by Lauren (floral design) and AKR Productions (photography contribution).
PORTAL 01
Portal 01 is the first of Pilar's conceptual series PORTALS located inside the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The installation, located in the main Atrium of the airport, connects travelers to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, a staple of the city’s culture. The work is comprised of cobalt blue neon or a portal, and a photograph of a serene waterfall, taken by photographer Kara Wise/AKR Productions, in the Botanical Gardens. This portal takes us to an oasis located in the heart of midtown; the 30-acres of outdoor gardens are alive with thriving plant-life, conservational research, and educational programs that build connections between communities and nature. From the side of the display case, the work is visible through a photograph, taken by AKR Productions, of the dense Storza forest where Portal 01 sits atop concrete ruble that nature has seemingly reclaimed, a petrified floral install by Full Bloom By Lauren. This display was on view between June and November 2024, and featured in conversation with Pilar on WABE’s City Lights radio program.
Photo by Theo Preiswerk
PORTAL 00
The inaugural Atlanta Art Fair welcomes Pilar's second installation for the series PORTALS titled Portal 00. The fairgrounds hosted artists and galleries from all over the country, but the creative community of the host city made its presence known. Pilar’s work was chosen to represent the Millennium Gate Museum in a cultural partner booth. This portal promotes the museum’s mission to preserve and cultivate a biodiverse green space on their property alongside their many other social and civil accolades; behind the museum, amidst a bustling urban landscape, you can find a walkable park and a lake housing schools of goldfish available for citizens, wildlife, and native plants to enjoy alike. The booth contained three works, including a 7ft steel sculpture with a glowing cobalt portal standing out against a black wall and two flanking pieces from “collection one” of quilted plastic in a black matte and gloss finish, and a living tree near the booth. The works were on display publicly during the fair between October 3rd and 6th 2024.
Photo by Theo Preiswerk
PORTAL 11
The Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport houses the third installation in the Portals series, titled Portal 11, that features a connection to the city’s own Piedmont Park. Located in the main atrium, this install displays Pilar Studios’ annual series of prints; a collection of three different textures from Pilar’s work (Quilted Plastic, Plastic & Moss, Quilted 2.0) printed on 3mm brushed silver ACM with exposed wall hardware. As the largest park in our city, a whopping 8,232,840sq ft, this green space is equipped with dog parks, walking trails, sports fields, a lake, and a plethora of festivals and events to bring people together out in nature. Activating the same room as Portal 01, this series has become an extension of that work by connecting Atl’s most biodiverse travel destinations to the country’s busiest airport and its travelers.
INFORMATION
Pilar’s “Portals” create contemplative spaces, connecting viewers to nature through advertising the importance of thriving flora, fauna, and communal green spaces. It boldly juxtaposes distinctly manufactured materials with elements of nature begging the viewer to explore and travel through portals of possibilities.
This conceptually based and philosophy-infused visual art encourages alternative definitions of nature, challenging norms of overproduction, consumerism, and materialism. Pilar’s use of industrial materials such as plastic and steel alongside natural elements like wood and petrified moss creates a dialogue about the evolving state of our environment. Pilar posits that human ingenuity and labor are integral parts of this natural world and can strike a balance together. She refers to this combination of resources, ideation, and manufacturing that have created new materials and production methods as "second nature."
These works were activated inside the inaugural Atlanta Art Fair hosted in October 2024, in the Atrium of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, and The Millennium Gate Museum.
This project features Atlanta-based artist Pilar, in collaboration with curators Shannon Morris from The Curator’s Studio LLC, and Kate Chesnut from Labyrinth Curation.
Shannon Morris is a curator and writer specializing in globally relevant topics. Her art consulting firm, “The Curator’s Studio, LLC,” assists artists, collectors, and institutions in successfully implementing their visions and achieving their goals. Currently, she serves as Director of Spruill Gallery, an entity of Spruill Center for the Arts.
Kate Chesnutt is an art consultant and curator who specializes in contemporary art, ancient objects, and antiquities. Kate works with individuals and corporations find works that speak to them, their values, and fulfil their aesthetic dreams. In the past year, Kate curated "Material Influence" with Maune Contemporary, Lainey Papageorge's "Radiance Embodied" and "Art Above All" at Rooftop LOA. Kate is the founder of Labyrinth Curation, LLC.
“The Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport is welcoming a new installation by Atlanta based artist and designer Pilar. Her exhibit is titled Portals, and combines materials found in nature, industry, and photography. The optical illusions transport the viewer’s senses and imagination before they embark on their physical journey.”
- Summer Evans, WABE City Lights, Sept 2024