LA MERAVIGLIA. The Art of Wonder

In his home in Bolzano, where living space and studio merge seamlessly, we meet the artist Robert Pan – surrounded by works of fellow artists and his own creations, shaped over decades of practice. The film does not seek quick answers, but a quiet conversation. It follows the artist to the place where form emerges from inner impulse, and matter begins to speak.

Pan’s art is not about surface – it is about density. Layer by layer, he applies resin, pigment, and mesh, only to later uncover them again, to cut into them, to remove – like geological formations, like stalactites, like tree rings revealing the past. And yet, his process does not follow natural law, but a deeply felt inner order. Precision and discipline, clarity and intuition come together in a practice that is as rational as it is poetic. In this tension, the artist’s personality reveals itself: a person with a sharp sense of proportion, a deep sensitivity for harmony, and an unwavering devotion to the essential – to the essence of form.

Robert Pan speaks of beauty not as mere aesthetics, but as an ethical stance in a world that often yields to the ugly. For him, beauty is not convenience, but conviction. His works are not reflections of zeitgeist, but of self – and thus radically contemporary.

Beyond the studio, the film accompanies Pan to the Hofburg Brixen, where his works enter into a striking dialogue with the Baroque collection. Here, contemplative depth meets Baroque pathos – a meeting where artistic contemporaneity becomes a timeless gesture.

The film does not aim to offer art historical analysis or didactic explanation. Instead, it gives space to the thoughts that move the artist as he reflects on his practice. What drives him? Where does a work begin, and where does it end? What role does unpredictability play? And how can one tell if a work is “true”? These questions form the film’s quiet framework – gently asked, profoundly answered.

Robert Pan says art is an addiction. Perhaps it is also a form of knowledge. Those who engage with his works enter depths where light and matter meet – and with every glance, begin again.

https://www.robertpan.com/

Interviewee: Robert Pan
Artworks by: Robert Pan

Copyright info: The audio and video recording has been made with personal permission of the artist.
Licensing: 0
Language(s): German
Subtitles: English
Producer: KA21 GmbH / CastYourArt
Production crew: Wolfgang Haas, Helmut Feier, Michael Rottmann
Production country: Austria, Vienna