Rodrigo Matheus: Atração

In “Atração” [Attraction], the new exhibition by Rodrigo Matheus ( (b. 1974, São Paulo, the artist presents new sculptures constructed based on associations between household objects and industrial pieces found in various stores in the city of São Paulo. By bringing together materials of a generic nature and uniting them in one body, the works invert the industrial logic of mass production, as well as the primary notions of form and function.

Rodrigo Matheus activates the gallery space in different ways: with works stretching up from the floor, hanging from the ceiling, suspended, or running along the walls – thus conferring an “installational” character to the show. One example is the work “Abraço” [Hug], where the leaves and stems of artificial plants are organized in a straight line along the walls. This installation deals with the relations between construction and nature, stretching them to the limit by attributing architectural qualities to supposedly organic elements.

The sculptures featured in “Atração” reaffirm the artist’s interest in issues such as the nature of representation, design and artificiality. The precise arrangement among the parts that compose each work engender an interplay of unexpected relationships, considering their inherent qualities, the social circuit, and the relations of power present in each component of the show. Through these articulations, Rodrigo Matheus points to the poetic potential of everyday objects which, once freed from their function, reveal new possibilities of meaning and understanding beyond those they were originally conceived for.