Those That Watch, Those That Know - Yann Leto

Critical text by Thom Oosterhof

 

Andrea Festa Fine Art is pleased to present Those That Watch, Those That Know, a solo exhibition by French artist Yann Leto, accompanied by a critical text from Thom Oosterhof. The exhibition features five large-format paintings and a central sculptural work that together create a sequential, symbolic narrative rooted in irony, observation, and social introspection.

 

Operating at the intersection of subconscious allegory and contemporary spectacle, Yann Leto constructs a world of theatrical stillness and emotional ambiguity. Inspired by artists such as Magritte, Botticelli, and Otto Dix, Leto’s works meditate on the duality between those who witness and those who understand—a reflection on our collective tendency to see everything yet grasp little.

The exhibition leads viewers through scenes of subtle chaos: a televised moment of crisis (Breaking News), a diptych explosion of urban disorientation, a contemplative finale inside a Photo Booth. Each work contains embedded visual clues—a snake, a pigeon, a note—that hint at a broader story, one where the viewer is both detective and subject.

Yann Leto, born in France and currently living between Rome and Paris, continues to expand his multi-disciplinary practice across painting, installation, and performance. His latest works are improvised, narrative-driven, and deeply psychological.