As artists, they’ve created a third identity – PaulaGabriela – and have been presenting themselves for eight years across various types of media, with a strong emphasis on performance and installations. For this exhibition, the artists have created an installation on one of the gallery walls where the remaining holes from the construction and support of the concrete forms of the space were retained. Through these holes, they will sew the gallery wall with 300 meters of red plastic tubes, forming an immensely proportioned design that “crosses” the wall and exceeds the boundary delimited by the salon. Tubes are a recurring element in the duo’s work, as is the challenge of imposed limits, whether by a wall or an improbable location. The video “Tube/Tunnel” featuring images by Eryk Rocha, also present in the exhibition, was showcased at the last Salão da Bahia where it was one of the awarded pieces. Tubes, wires, pipes – all are used in connections that serve both to unite the duo and as a way for them to communicate with the works, the exterior, and between themselves.
The photos produced specifically for this exhibition were taken at CEG (State Gas Company), at an oil refinery, and within gigantic water tanks located in Copacabana. These images depict the artists in garments handcrafted by themselves in unusual locations, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of baroque and surrealism.
Fresh from a residency at the Bob Wilson Foundation in Watermill, NY, USA, the artists will also participate later this year in the exhibitions “Panorama da Arte Brasileira” at MAM, SP, and “Arte Brasileira Hoje” in the Gilberto Chateubriand Collection at MAM, RJ.