MiCamera, the "photography and lens-based arts" gallery/bookshop in Milan, is currently hosting from 15 October to 22 November, 2008 a peculiar exhibition, composed of four different small projects and one site-specific project by the talented Italian born photographer Pablo Chiereghin, now living in Vienna. His work is gathered under the title: "Pablo Chiereghin. They say I seem clever".

The shots are in a clean dry style, underlining the author's background in advertising/communications.
The key to Chiereghin's approach is the precise explanation of the procedures used for his projects and the complete, often sharp and ironic, description of ideas and directions that lead to the final product.
Four series are spread throughout the exhibition area: the impact of politics in individual daily behaviour ("Politics is the Theme"), the search for possible connections between the social conception of time related to other main subjects ("The Time Wasting Projects"), the way of depicting a lie ("Picture of a Lie" project) through a portrait of the subject, and lastly the surprise in an unexpected exposure of the naked photographer himself, from a shop window in central London ("Birthday suit").Some videos also are presented to explain more clearly the paths of the two latter projects.

After roaming through these catchy pictures, the spectator shares a last brilliant interaction with the author; the first 107 visitors received a plastic sleeve signed by Chiereghin with some spare change. It is the reward for the time spent to the exhibition, calculated by using a strict mathematical formula that involves time spent multiplied by the Italian average income multiplied by the poverty coefficient of the artist.
This act, aside from resulting in a grin from the surprised visitor, has the aim to invert the common approach to exhibition venues which normally charge for entrance, and at the same time to give this small amount of pocket change an additional value that goes far beyond the concrete one.

The visual pleasure of the images themselves, combined with a smart, articulated, yet direct and enjoyable approach makes this exhibition a compellingly interesting and intriguing way to look at Chiereghin's photography and "philosophy".
The exhibition leaves with the feeling that there will be more talk about his art in the (near) future...it's a nice way to "waste" a little of your time, but ...be warned!...the reward envelopes are already finished!!To know more:www.pablochiereghin.com