Lehmann Maupin’s presentation at Frieze 2018 will focus on works by OSGEMEOS, the Brazilian artist duo. A lifelong collaboration between twin brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo, OSGEMEOS have built an international reputation based on a figurative style that typically features their signature yellow characters and intricately patterned designs. New and recent paintings and sculptures will be shown at Frieze.
Similar to the surrealist artists of the early 20th century, OSGEMEOS seek to defy conventions and push boundaries in art and society through the unbridled exploration of the subconscious and imagination. In direct contrast to the surrealist notion of a solitary dream space, however, the twins have described a shared intuition and subconscious experience that is translated visually through their collaborative process.
Music is also a strong influence on OSGEMEOS, from the folk festivals they attended as children, where they first absorbed a myriad of Brazilian cultures, and later, early hip hop of the 1980s that inspired their art trajectory, which originated with graffiti. For OSGEMEOS, the 1970s and 1980s was an influential time of discovery and sharing; the improvisational structure, descriptions of everyday life on the streets, and bravado in sharing these stories that this golden age of hip hop fostered is intrinsically linked to their practice. Their homage to this period is evident in works like You Are My Guest (2016), and in their sculptural works, which often incorporate audio components.
Eschewing the popular Brazilian art movements, which favor conceptual, minimalist, and concrete art, OSGEMEOS seek to provide an art experience that transcends race, class, and educational background.
Concurrent with the Frieze presentation, OSGEMEOS will have a long-term installation commissioned by the Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, PA, on view through summer 2019.
About OSGEMEOS
OSGEMEOS (b. 1974, São Paulo, Brazil; live and work in São Paulo), translated as “the twins" in Portuguese, is a collaborative art duo comprised of twin brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo. Solo exhibitions of OSGEMEOS’ work have been organized by Museu Casa do Pontal, Rio de Janeiro, (2015); Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (2012); Berardo Collection Museum, Lisbon (2010); and Museum Het Domein, Sittard, Netherlands (2007). Select group exhibitions and biennials featuring their work include Everything you are I am not: Latin American contemporary art from the Tiroche DeLeon Collection, Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ; Apreensões e Objetos do Desejo: obras doadas pela Receita Federal ao MNBA, Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro (2015); Giants at the Vancouver Biennale (2014); Gigantes por su propria naturaleza, Institut Valéncia d’Art Modern, Valéncia, Spain (2011); Art in the Streets, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2011); Viva la Revolucion: A Dialogue with the Urban Landscape, Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego (2010); and When Lives Become Form: Creative Power from Brazil, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (2008). Their work is in numerous international public collections, including The Franks-Suss Collection, London; Museu de Arte Moderna, São Paulo; Museu de Arte Brasileira, São Paulo; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.
Major public commissions include HangarBicocca, Milan (2016); Parallel Connections, Times Square Arts: Midnight Moment, New York (2015); Wynwood Walls, Miami (2009); Tate Modern, London (2008); and Creative Time, New York (2005)