Os Gemeos Mural
August 1 – November 25, the Institute of Contemporary Art presented the first solo exhibition in the United States of Brazilian twin brothers Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo. The Rose Kennedy Greenway partnered with the ICA as a site for an accompanying public mural.
The 70' x 70' mural is displayed in Dewey Square Park on the Air Intake Structure located between Summer and Congress Streets. The mural is temporary and will be up through October 2013 dependent on its condition. If you have questions about the mural, please refer to our FAQ document.
The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy hosted an opening event in celebration of the mural on Wednesday, August 8 with activities on Dewey Square lawn including art projects for the kids, music and cuisine all inspired by the Brazilian twins' mural. An evening after party at the Revere Hotel followed.
The Os Gemeos mural on the Greenway is made possible by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Boston Art Commission and the City of Boston.
About the Greenway mural:
Both the surrounding skyscrapers and the architecture of the Intake Structure itself influenced the subject matter of the mural: a giant, yellow-colored character in brightly mismatched clothes who appears to have squeezed himself in between the towering buildings that surround him. These yellow-colored characters are an iconic and recurrent feature in Os Gemeos's work, and are depicted in a wide variety of situations.
Sometimes they inhabit fantastical, dream-like landscapes of joy and color; other times we see them in more everyday situations--riding the subway, sitting at home with their families or, in the case of the figure on the Greenway mural, just peering at the busy city life unfolding below. The figures are frequently shown wearing whimsical hats, colorful hoods or scarves--another hallmark feature of the artists' work. Os Gemeos hope their mural will bring color and energy to the streets of Boston as well as inspire curiosity and imagination. Together, the Greenway mural and ICA exhibition offer a unique opportunity to fully experience the range and diversity of Os Gemeos's artistic practice--from painting and sculptural works in the museum galleries to dynamic, large-scale murals on the city streets.
About Os Gemeos:
Best known as Os Gemeos, the twins are a major force in urban art. The twins have a deep bond; they are tireless collaborators and even experience the same dreams. The twins depict their visions in surreal paintings, sculpture, and installations.
Os Gemeos draw not only from dreams but from their surroundings, incorporating these elements to forge a unique visual style. Their narrative work visually synthesizes their everyday lives: the color and chaos of Brazil, particularly that found in their neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Cambuci. Carnivals, music and folk art fascinate the twins and inspire fantastical portraits of musicians, or paintings of a procession and festivals, all of which are based on their own photographs.
To Os Gemeos labels, even reality, are not important. They do not consider themselves street artists, they "just want to paint." Their art in public space is a means to share their work with a broad audience.
