Solo Show

THE COLORS OF JAZZ

Patrick Piccinelli

Presented by Artraction, the exhibition *The Colors of Jazz* (*Les couleurs du Jazz*) will be held at the Geneva Free Ports and Warehouses (*Ports Francs et Entrepôts de Genève*) from November 3 to 27, 2026. Through this exhibition, Artraction invites the public to discover the pictorial world of Patrick Piccinelli, where the rigor of geometry meets the freedom of gesture and the improvisation of jazz.

In Patrick Piccinelli’s work, a painting is constructed much like a musical score. Geometric forms structure the space, colors compose chords, and the artist’s gesture introduces a rupture—an unexpected vibration. Balancing rigor and spontaneity, his works explore a delicate equilibrium in which order never precludes freedom.

Trained at ECAL (Lausanne University of Art and Design), Patrick Piccinelli has gradually developed a unique pictorial language, shaped by a variety of influences. The structured geometry of Max Bill, the gestural freedom of Jackson Pollock, the sensitivity found in the paintings of Antoni Tàpies, and the explorations of Robert Motherwell have all helped define his approach. He is also deeply influenced by the tradition of Swiss graphic design and typography, from which he draws a sense of restraint, precision, and compositional clarity.

His artistic journey has evolved from still lifes and compositions that blended figuration and abstraction toward a purely abstract language. Since 2019, he has furthered his exploration of geometry, progressively refining his compositions to the point where the object becomes superfluous. The forms now stand on their own: blocks of color, lines, surfaces, and spaces serve as the elements of a refined, pared-down pictorial vocabulary.

Yet, this geometry is far from rigid. Patrick Piccinelli himself prefers to describe it as "sensitive." Within carefully structured compositions, he introduces elements that disrupt their balance: a freehand stroke, a splash, a drip, or some other spontaneous intervention. These intentional "accidents" break the regularity of the surfaces, establishing a tension between construction and expression. The gesture does not destroy the order; rather, it reveals it in a new light, imbuing it with movement and breath.

It is within this pursuit of balance that jazz finds its natural place. Deeply passionate about this music, Patrick Piccinelli discovers a resonance between jazz improvisation and his own artistic approach. Much like in a musical composition, a structure serves as a foundation for free expression. Geometry provides the framework, while the painterly gesture acts as an improvisation—an unexpected solo that enriches the composition without shattering its harmony. A subtle pulse, a sudden break, a variation—each intervention finds its place within a whole where rhythm and silence are inseparable.

In this context, the color white plays an essential role. Far from being merely an empty space, it becomes a breath, a pause, a silence that gives full resonance to the forms and gestures. Monochrome surfaces, lines, and splashes engage in a dialogue, alternating between presence and absence, restraint and intensity.

With *Les couleurs du Jazz* (The Colors of Jazz), Patrick Piccinelli invites us into a universe where painting becomes rhythm and geometry transforms into movement. His compositions—at once disciplined and free—do not seek to represent music, but rather to capture its spirit: that of a living expression composed of structures, improvisations, and silences. It is a form of painting that, much like jazz, discovers its freedom within the very framework it has set for itself. Artraction

Exhibition at the Geneva Free Ports and Warehouses, from November 3 to 27, 2026.