OSGEMEOS
September 8 – October 22, 2020
Lehmann Maupin
What would the music be without sound? Brazilian street artists Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo are OSGEMEOS – street art twins and former b-boys who took on the challenge to bring that vision to life in Silence of the Music, their first solo exhibition at Lehmann Maupin.
Five rooms have exploded with collages, mixed media, sculptures and murals of their signature yellow people in adventures delving into the 80s São Paulo street scene. From the seductive smell of spray paint right down to the first lock and break, I watched a wild, artistic fusion of Hip Hop’s New York City origins combine with their roots in Hip Hop’s Brazilian birthplace, the favelas of São Paulo.
The São Paulo Subway Scene
The São Paulo Metrô is the largest rapid transit system in Brazil and the second-largest system in South America. That explains why a handful of OSGEMEOS’s characters can be seen riding on a train or within proximity to one. It is to São Paulo street artists what the MTA was for street writing pioneers in New York City back in the 80s-the golden era.
In both parts of the world, metro transportation systems played a huge role in street style, culture and the overall underground movement itself. Ismael Toledo – Brazil’s original b-boy, is said to be responsible for the rapidly growing presence of Hip Hop culture, now present in São Paulo and other parts of the country.
Family
Gender
Patterns
Culture
Blending in among a multitude of English and Portuguese phrases and faces varying in hues of browns and yellows, there is a subtle, yet striking presence of vibrant culture. From the Fogos Caramuru logo – a popular Brazilian fireworks manufacturer, to the deep-hued moon-face women tucked away in the corner wearing a necklace of spoons, this exhibit is oozing with cultural references native to the artists’ homeland of São Paulo, Brazil.
Break Dancing
Can’t stop talking about Silence of the Music? Subscribe to our mailing list below.