Double Your Pleasure, By Ania Rurak

by pmaxwell, 14 July 2008

Os Gemeos, "Back in the Days", 2008

Os Gemeos translates into “twins” in Portuguese, and is a fitting pseudonym for twin brothers, Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo, who hail from Sao Paulo and currently have a show titled, "Too Far Too Close" at Deitch Projects in SoHo. Upon first glance one seems to enter a fantastical carnivalesque world that pays homage to the duos Brazilian roots. A rainbow of colors and characters bring to life the walls of the gallery by transforming them into a cityscape. Richly patterned garments with sequins and bold colors rival the iconic creative force of Liberty prints, while musical instruments play on an upper gallery deck. A wood frame car parked in the middle of the gallery space, large enough to accommodate only Os Gemeos' youngest patrons, resembles a love shack with heart cutout windows and a red shag rug.

Hear Os Gemeos talk about their work, courtesy of Alexandra Lerman at ScribeMedia.Org

While one becomes quickly sucked into this magical dream world, it is easy to ignore or evade the lonely abandoned figures that peer through windows, look at their reflection in a mirror, or hide in corners in their wall paintings. It is evident that beneath the sugarcoated surface there is a darker and more complex subject matter. Os Gemeos indirectly addresses urban issues such as class and race with scenes of figures trying to get there voice heard through a megaphone, or standing with an hourglass sifting on their head. They describe their work as demonstrating “scenes from a magic, love, hate, and real place that live inside us, a real dream, the scene of our own universe.” Even though the undercurrent may be dark and deep, Os Gemeos still manages to delight our juvenile fantasies. A contradiction? Perhaps. Entertaining? Definitely.

Os Gemeos, Installation view

"Too Far Too Close" is showing until August 9 at Deitch Projects on 18 Wooster Street.