Sam Pulitzer

Sam Pulitzer works in photography, drawing and installation, and consistently couples these mediums with written text. Through manipulating the visual tropes and language of advertising, particularly billboard campaigns, Pulitzer teases out the philosophical or poetic aspects of his chosen imagery. For example, a beautifully shot loaf of bread might provoke queries about the distribution of wealth, rather than remaining a tantalizing thing to consume. Or eye-catching posters with bold graphics can provide gruesome details of America’s foreign policy, as opposed to relaying information about an upcoming gig. By flipping normative corporate registers, Pulitzer subverts expectations and prompts audiences to perceive an image through broader socio-political ...

terms. Common themes which surface in his practice are alterity, tensions between insiders and outsiders, authorship and the politics of looking. His lyrical titles heighten the innate criticality within each work. Sometimes playful in tone, sometimes more hard-hitting, Pulitzer unearths hubris and contradictions within contemporary society, with artists such as Barbara Kruger and Jenny Holzer undeniably influencing his melding of language and image.

Galerie Francesca Pia was founded 1990 in Bern and from their first exhibitions forward has consistently fostered contemporary artists including Betty Woodman (1990), Peter Fischli & David Weiss (1992), Hans-Peter Feldmann (1993), Thomas Bayrle (1998), Mai-Thu Perret (2000), Wade Guyton (2004), Jutta Koether (2008) and Rochelle Feinstein (2016) et al. Today the gallery is known for the discovery and promotion of emerging artists. After 16 years in Bern, the gallery moved to a larger space in Zurich in 2007. In 2012 the gallery extended and relocated to a more generous space in the historic Löwenbrau building, where it continues to engage in an ambitious program, representing over thirty artists of different generations.