C A M PA N A B R O T H E R S
FRIEDMAN BENDA 515 WEST 26TH STREET NEW YORK NY 10001
SHEDDING THEIR SKINS
He gives as an example the Favela chair (1991), one of the Campanas’ early breakthrough objects, which takes
Glenn Adamson
its name and its improvised constructive logic—no two versions are exactly the same—from the buildings of Rio’s informal hillside communities. It was their passport into the international design scene, along with a series of chairs
Successful artists grow up in public, just as actors, athletes, and musicians do. For those of us on the sidelines,
made by the equally inventive exigency of wrapping cord around metal frames, such as the Azul chair (1993),
it is a fascinating process to watch. Creative development is so unpredictable; emerging talents may or may not
later developed into the famed Vermelha for Edra. Not unlike the contemporaneous work of Dutch designers
realize their early promise. When they do, they branch out—almost by definition—in directions none could have
associated with the Droog collective at the same time—they provided sculptural presence with a conceptual
foreseen. For those in that spotlight, this is the greatest of challenges. To invent something new in the world is
twist, a clear alternative to the sophisticated Italian-dominated industrial design scene.
one thing. To keep doing so when the eyes of the world are upon you is something else entirely. For all that the Campanas’ early work was a successful incursion into new territory, the full implications of the The Campana Brothers have had that sort of life, and that sort of achievement. They formed their studio in 1984
ideas they contained would not become clear until much later. Humberto looks back on the Favela, in particular,
(when Humberto was thirty-one years old, and Fernando only twenty-three), and almost immediately began
with considerable pride, seeing it as fundamentally as an expression of optimism in the face of adversity. But
attracting international attention for their work. Initially, as Cèdric Morisset explains in his essay for this catalog—a
when it was first made, he concedes, “we didn’t know the reality of the favela—we had faraway eyes.” That has
vivid first-hand account of the Campanas’ rise to prominence—they were poorly understood, even as they were
certainly changed. Through the Instituto Campana, which the brothers founded in 2009, they are working in both
celebrated. Freighted with the absurd expectation of representing all of Latin American design, their transposition
remote places and urban neighborhoods, using design as a means of outreach, activating artisanal traditions
of the vernacular bricolage for which Brazil is so well known could be misconstrued as a narrow gesture of
with an eye toward cultural preservation. “Life has granted us so much,” says Fernando. “Now it is our turn to
regional identity, or else, a simple statement about ecological recycling. In fact, they were already expressing
reciprocate.” And this impetus has, indeed, brought them into more complicated and difficult terrain. Today, their
a much broader set of ideas, to do with cultural resiliency, tough-minded inventiveness, and above all, a vivid,
practice is both diverse and demanding. It partakes of the categories of art, design, architecture, and social work.
individualistic freedom from the constraints of mass production. As Fernando puts it: “I would say we have, since
While their overall philosophy is palpable in every object, it cannot easily reduced to a simple overall message,
the beginning, been looking for a new communication code to portray life.”
either of critique or celebration. As they tune receptively into their environment, which they do constantly, the Campanas see aspects of life that are both distressing and inspiring. All these contradictory conditions are
These values have since become pervasive in the design scene, and the Campanas could easily have settled
reflected in their work.
into their role as forerunners of a certain model of practice, as well as spokesmen for the design scene of a whole continent. Instead they have done something far more interesting, shedding their skins again and again in a
This complexity was on full display in 35 Revolutions. The exhibition bristled with different moods, materialities,
continual process of reinvention. As in the animal world, this metamorphosis has been a means of strength and
and modes of production. Large-scale installation elements—including a wall of terracotta bricks depicting open
adaptation, allowing them to build a practice that is far more than the sum of its diverse parts. Not for nothing was
hands (a gesture of welcome, and a tribute to craft), and over a hundred shaggy vertical pillars composed of
their recent retrospective exhibition at MAM Rio called 35 Revolutions—one per year of their studio’s operation.
piassava (Brazilian palm) straw—bound the experience together. Even so, the dominant impression was one of
While they have tried, as Humberto remarks, “to be coherent with the beginning of our trajectory,” there have
extreme diversity. The exhibition attested to the fundamental strength of the Campanas’ design intelligence,
also been many discrete shifts in their approach, each unexpected in itself, but all adding up to one big change:
founded in intuition and an affinity for materiality, while also demonstrating how broadly they have managed to apply it.
With this image in mind, let’s now take a step back, turning to their work of the past ten years, to see how
Yet each operates on quite different experimental territory, with its own emotional shadings grounded in the
their core principles have played out in practice. A good place to start—though it comes at the midpoint of the
specific qualities of a material and its history. Ametista, for example, departs from the expected luxuriousness
decade—is the Detonado series (2015), which was inspired, much as the Favela chair was inspired by the crates
of a gemstone, in favor of the raw realism of rocks right from the mine, which punctuate nondescript glass
at a local fruitmarket, by a furniture restoration shop near the Campanas’ studio. Struck by the fragile beauty
volumes otherwise evocative of modernist fucntionalism. The Fitas and Ofidia series could be diagrams of the
of the cutout cane fragments that littered the workshop—remnants of broken Thonet-style café chairs, which
creative mind itself, working through endless convolutions—the former series in the more rigorous context of
are commonplace in São Paolo—they conceived a poignant and poetic way to re-use them. By weaving nylon
linear graphic design, the latter a more freeform process of building shapes in midair. And the Bolotas convey
monofilament through the holes in the cane, its former strength could be restored, while also allowing for the sort
an impression of sumptuous magnificence—as if they were clouds descended to earth, just for our comfort—but
of collaged composition that the Campanas favor.
also allude clearly to the Surrealist notion of anti-form, their amorphous shapes assembled into an alien domestic landscape.
When speaking of the Detonado series, Humberto has referred to himself as a sort of “therapist for objects.” Rather than denying the unruly aspects of the material environment—as designers who aim for clean functionalism
The Cangaço collection, developed in parallel with Detonado, also has deep roots: the series takes its inspiration
invariably do—the brothers seek a deeper understanding, channeling anarchic energies in a positive direction.
from peasant uprisings that occurred in Northeast Brazil around the turn of the twentieth century, what came
(Regarding this process of redirection and refinement, a comment by Fernando is telling: “My partnership with
to be known as the sertão. The cangaceiros were armed outlaws, somewhat romanticized in retrospect, but
Humberto is very simple. One of us brings the raw idea and the other helps polish it.”) The title of the collection,
certainly quite real historically. They dressed in elaborate leather garments, which were suited to the harsh
which translates as “exploded,” aptly conveys this intention. It is as if the human life-force that was latent in the
conditions in which they conducted their so-called banditry, but also richly embellished with ribbons and metal
found material, imparted to it through manual labor, has found violent release. As so often in their mature work,
ornaments. In adopting this distinctive vocabulary for their collection, the Campanas once again drew on
construction and deconstruction serve here as counterpoints, the seemingly opposed vectors of disruption and
local craft knowledge—in this case, collaborating with the master saddler Espedito Seleiro, who realized the
restoration entwined in a single technique.
complex leatherwork forms—while weaving a national legend into their own narrative. There is, in the Cangaço collection, a knowing reflection of the Campanas’ own personae as emblematically Brazilian artists, and even
Here, then, is a key to understanding the Campanas: their works are the material resolution of two contradictory
as revolutionaries (albeit of a much less politicized sort). Yet these self-referential meanings are subtle, implicit.
internal forces, with control and chaos held in equilibrium. That principle guides them through one experiment
“We gave a continuation to the history of the sertão,” Fernando says; “There was no political mark behind it,
after another—they need no other rules to maintain their equilibrium. But as any psychotherapist will tell you, it’s
though you could make such reading if you’d like. For us, all the pieces we create became characters and are
not enough to recognize such a principle intellectually. You have to keep “doing the work,” as the phrase goes—
free to be interpreted as people wish.” What comes across most strongly, perhaps, is a passionate respect for
applying hard-won insights to different aspects of experience. This has been their discipline over the past ten
popular self-invention, achieved in the face of adversity. Here we can see how the Campanas have extended the
years. The series Ametista, Fitas, Ofidia, and Bolotas—additive compositions featuring rough amethyst crystals,
seemingly straightforward “upcycling” methodology of their earlier work into a richer, more allusive framework, a
metal strips, ropes cast in metal, and thick sheepskin, respectively—all are made in this spirit, simultaneously
conversation across time and space.
wayward and composed. Like the earlier Favela chair, too, these works share a certain degree of variation within established parameters.
Even more expansive is their Pirarucu series (2013 and later), which engages with Brazil’s vast natural ecosystem much as Cangaço borrows from its cultural history. There is indeed a close parallel between the two collections: like the cangaceiros, the pirarucu is real enough, but seems like something out of legend. A giant ancient fish that dwells in the Amazon, it has historically been an important dietary staple for indigenous people in the region; more recently, NGO initiatives have brought sustainable farm propagation, to provide both food and income. Historically, nothing of the fish was wasted by indigenous communities, but in more recent years the pirarucu skin has typically been discarded. The Campanas—always alert to the potential of waste material—saw its possibilities as a dramatic upholstery material, while also (in Fernando’s words) “giving riverside communities proper training to guarantee a constant source of income.” Tanned and stretched over an armature, the inherent beauty of its irregular, lattice-like pattern is revealed, with each diamond-shaped scale edged by a delicate furl. Instead of hiding the seams between the pieces of skin, as a traditional upholsterer might want to do, the Campanas arrange them into asymmetrical patchworks, so that the seams slash their way across the curvature of a sofa, or the front of a cabinet.
Standing before the Pirarucu furniture, one can still feel the muscular presence of the primordial creatures.
Noah Bench, 2017
There is something awe-inspiring here, even monstrous. Over the next few years, as the Campanas developed their work in a new, more self-aware direction, the pirarucu continued to play a role; it seems to have unlocked
Perhaps the clearest indication of this mood was the
an energy that had previously lay dormant in their practice. Right from the start, they had mixed the fish skin
Noah series, the mordant title alluding, of course,
with other materials—clusters of bamboo, or cast bronze elements for the feet of chairs. These experiments,
to Biblical deluge. In place of the lovable plush
alongside other parallel investigations, culminated in the charismatic gravitas of their exhibition Hybridism (2017).
toys that have so long populated the Campanas’
One of the most powerful pieces in the presentation was the Sereia Pirarucu (“Pirarucu Mermaid”), in which
furniture, the pieces are populated by animals cast
the tanned skin was juxtaposed with a bronze casting, the fish’s scales fixed in burnished metal. The wildly
in hard bronze or aluminum, arranged in vertiginous,
asymmetrical, three-legged composition seems to pour itself out into space, an image of excess, an emblem of
tumbling configurations: another collage of everyday
life out of balance.
life. This depiction of the natural world in free fall is arrested, in several works, by a thick agglomeration
That somber new note—or rather, orchestral chord—rang out all the way through Hybridism. It was a thrilling
of woven fabric. Instead of the loosely arranged
show, replete with visual and narrative interest, but also conveying an overall, unmistakable air of dread. In
cord used in their earlier designs, the Noah pieces
retrospect, Humberto describes the exhibition as “a portrait of our dystopian times of populism, deforestation,
feature a thick, tight, claustrophobic carapace of
fake fascism.”
fabric in acidic colors.
Desperate furniture for desperate times, one might think. Yet it is by no means devoid of hope. The very notion
Countless metamorphoses are behind them, and doubtless more to come. Through it all, they have achieved the
of “hybridism” contains within it the possibility of new solutions arrived at through unexpected connections—of
hardest thing for artists who are buffeted by the winds of good fortune, and the many challenges that opportunity
disparate materials, between high and low, across multiple disciplines of making and thinking. As the Campanas
brings. They have remained themselves.
have pointed out, that principle is itself intrinsic to Brazilian culture, particularly in their city of São Paolo, which has been formed through the interaction of many different peoples. If we must see them as expressing some national character through their work, it is the opposite of what people usually mean by nationalism—not an unshakeable certainty regarding identity, but a restless, combinatory curiosity. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the saturnine tone of the Hybridism show did not last long. Just a year after launching the Noah collection, they unveiled their latest material experiment. Entitled Sobriero (the Portuguese name for cork oak) this initial capsule collection included just four pieces, each of which offered a unique approach to sculpting cork, one of our most sustainable and recyclable materials. One cabinet was made by fusing together a cork agglomerate with clay—another example of hybridism, of an entirely generative kind. Also in 2018-19, in keeping with this optimistic spirit, they launched a collaboration with the artist Brian Donnelly (better known as KAWS). Fusing their sensibility with his, they arrived at objects that fizz with potent Pop vitality yet also have a poignant undertow. All those Berts and Ernies and Elmos and Snoopys, eyes X’d out, tumbled into heaps and propped up on legs of solid bronze: a self-conscious monument to the global consumer culture in which we all find ourselves, together.
And now? In 2020, when the world has ground to a stop? One might think that it would be a difficult time for the Campana Brothers. Their unstoppable creative energy, after all, is not an ideal match for the pandemic-imposed quarantine. Yet Humberto believes that “this crisis will push us to grow.” Fernando, meanwhile, has struggled as so many of us have: “I don’t identify with the virtual way of life that we have today… it is totally out of my way of being.” Like Fernando, he remains deeply anchored to the creativity and community embodied by Estudio Campana: “I cannot separate myself from it, as it is part of my soul. The application changes, whether it’s a drawing, a collage, or a sculpture, but the studio is always present somehow.” With this in mind, the brothers have worked hard this year to ensure that their staff, and the larger community of artisans that have served as their fabricators and collaborators, are impacted as little as possible. In ways great and small, they are holding to the values that have brought them this far—not the least of which is simple generosity. And, yes, continuing to grow, much as nature evolves, unpredictably and at varying speeds, but always in response to circumstance.
SUSHI
Sushi Cabinet (Ocean), 2013 Carpet, rubber, EVA, fabric and estela handcrafted into sushi rolls partially covering stainless steel structure 70.75 x 47.25 x 15.75 inches 180 x 120 x 40 cm Edition of 8
Sushi Cabinet, 2013 Carpet, rubber, EVA, fabric and estela handcrafted into sushi rolls partially covering stainless steel structure 70.75 x 47.25 x 15.75 inches 180 x 120 x 40 cm Edition of 8
Sushi Buffet, 2011 Carpet, rubber, EVA, fabric and estela handcrafted into sushi rolls partially covering, Brass 28.25 x 78.75 x 17.75 inches 72 x 200 x 45 cm Edition of 8
Wave Buffet, 2016 Brushed stainless steel, felt, EVA 27.5 x 78.75 x 15.75 inches 70 x 200 x 40 cm Edition of 8
Sushi Mirror, 2011 Bronze mirror, carpet, rubber, EVA and fabrics 45.28 x 31.5 x .79 inches 115 x 80 x 2 cm Edition of 150
Sushi Mirror (Wall Mirror 4), 2012 Polished steel, carpet, rubber, EVA and fabric 63 x 51 x 4 inches 160 x 130 x 10 cm Edition of 8
Sushi Mirror (Wall Mirror 3), 2012 Polished steel, carpet, rubber, EVA and fabric 80.71 x 50.79 inches 205 x 129 cm Edition of 8
PIRARUCU
“The Pirarucu Collection uses the skin of the Pirarucu, the world’s largest fresh water fish native to the Brazilian Amazon. This fish is an important food and economic resource for the local economy that provides income for the native indigenous community and allows them to continue living in their natural forest habitat. The fishery is managed in a sustainable way, controlled by NGOs dedicated to the preservation of the species. For some of the pieces in this collection, we created a hybrid between two key elements of Brazilian culture: Pirarucu skin and bamboo.”
Pirarucu Buffet, 2013 Pirarucu leather and straw 35.43 x 86.61 x 23.62 inches 90 x 220 x 60 cm Edition of 8
Pirarucu Cabinet, 2013 Pirarucu leather and straw 76.77 x 49.21 x 29.53 inches 195 x 125 x 75 cm Edition of 8
“Two Grown Men Live Here...,” New York Magazine, November 2017.
Pirarucu Sofa, 2014 Pirarucu leather and bamboo 27.5 x 80 x 33 inches 70 x 205 x 84 cm Edition of 8
Pirarucu Armchair (Pink), 2015 Pirarucu leather and bronze 37 x 46.5 x 49.25 inches 94 x 118 x 125 cm Edition of 8
Pirarucu Armchair (Mermaid), 2015 Pirarucu leather and bronze 37 x 46.5 x 49.25 inches 94 x 118 x 125 cm Edition of 8
Pirarucu Armchair, 2015 Pirarucu leather and bamboo 36.22 x 43.31 x 33 inches 92 x 110 x 84 cm Edition of 8
Pirarucu Flower Vase, 2017 Cast bronze 30.75 x 16.5 x 10 inches 78 x 41.942 x 25.5 cm Edition of 25
Sereia Pirarucu, 2017 Cast bronze, pirarucu leather 38 x 108 x 46 inches 96.5 x 274 x 117 cm Edition of 8
R AC K E T A N D D E TO N A D O
“The concept for the Detonado and Racket Collections is weaving inspired by a tennis racket. We tried to dematerialize the material. We used nylon and reclaimed hand-woven Thonet wicker, and played with the idea of transparency in order to bring a new look to the materials. Traditions of handwork and the intensive period of time these manual processes require was an important factor to communicate with these collections, so we hired a local artisan to work with us at the studio.�
Detonado Sofa, 2013 Reclaimed thonet wicker, woven nylon and brass 39.37 x 88.58 x 22.05 inches 100 x 225 x 56 cm Edition of 8
Detonado Buffet, 2015 Reclaimed thonet wicker, woven nylon and sucupira wood 29.53 x 98.43 x 15.75 inches 75 x 250 x 40 cm Edition of 8
Detonado Modular Bookshelf, 2015 Reclaimed thonet wicker, woven nylon and freijรณ wood 78.74 x 82.68 x 15.75 inches 200 x 210 x 40 cm Edition of 8
Installation view: The Salon: Art + Design, Park Avenue Armory, New York
Detonado Wall Cabinet, 2015 Reclaimed thonet wicker, woven nylon and freijรณ wood 32.68 x 118.11 x 17.72 inches 83 x 300 x 45 cm Edition of 8
Detonado Chair, 2013 Reclaimed thonet wicker, woven nylon and epoxy painted steel 28.54 x 42.13 x 33.46 inches 72.5 x 107 x 85 cm Edition of 8
Benchley, Amanda; Goergen, Stacey. Artists Living with Art: Rashid Johnson’s home, 2015.
Racket Chair (Circles), 2013 Woven wicker, iron and brass 41.34 x 39.37 x 29.53 inches 105 x 100 x 75 cm Edition of 8
Racket Chair (Tennis), 2013 Straw, woven nylon and brass 37.4 x 25.59 x 35.43 inches 95 x 65 x 90 cm Edition of 8
Installation view: Concepts, Friedman Benda, New York, 2013.
Installation view: Concepts, Friedman Benda, New York, 2013
F I TA S
“With the Fitas Collection we focused purely on a single material. We wanted to explore its physical and conceptual properties as conductive elements. The Fitas works (ribbons, in Portuguese), manipulate the material into a flower motif by bending and welding strips of stainless steel or brass. By expanding the notions of the material, Fitas became the form, the surface and the decoration.�
Fitas Buffet, 2012 Stainless steel 27.56 x 78.74 x 15.75 inches 70 x 200 x 40 cm Edition of 8
Fitas Table, 2013 Brass 20 x 31 x 31 inches 51 x 79 x 79 cm Edition of 8
B O L O TA S
“The Bolotas Collection was initially inspired by stone walls but the name Bolotas came when the first prototype showed up to be soft and round like an acorn. We added cushions to bring an element of comfort to the design. The sofa is made with leather and the armchair is covered with lush sheep’s wool.”
Bolotas Armchair (Brown), 2015 Sheep’s wool and ipê wood 41.34 x 43.31 x 33.46 inches 105 x 110 x 85 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Puff (Olive), 2016 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 19.75 x 35.5 x 35.5 inches 50 x 90 x 90 cm Edition of 8 Bolotas Armchair (Olive), 2015 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 41.25 x 43.25 x 33.50 inches 105 x 110 x 85 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Armchair (Mauve), 2015 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 41.25 x 43.25 x 33.5 inches 105 x 110 x 85 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Puff (Red), 2016 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 19.75 x 35.5 x 35.5 inches 50 x 90 x 90 cm Edition of 8 Bolotas Armchair (Red), 2018 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 41.25 x 43.25 x 33.5 inches 105 x 110 x 85 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Armchair (Black), 2014 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 41.25 x 43.25 x 33.5 inches 105 x 110 x 85 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Armchair (Cafe), 2015 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 41.25 x 43.25 x 33.5 inches 105 x 110 x 85 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Armchair (Multicolor), 2018 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 41.25 x 43.25 x 33.5 inches 105 x 110 x 85 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Armchair (Bicolor), 2018 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 41.25 x 43.25 x 33.5 inches 105 x 110 x 85 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Armchair (Cherry), 2019 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 35.5 x 47.25 x 43.25 inches 90 x 120 x 110 cm Edition of 8 Bolotas Sofa (Cherry), 2018 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 33.5 x 78.75 x 35.5 inches 85 x 200 x 9 Edition of 8
Bolotas Sofa (White), 2015 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 33.5 x 78.75 x 35.5 inches 85 x 200 x 90 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Sofa (Grey), 2015 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 33.5 x 78.75 x 35.5 inches 85 x 200 x 90 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Sofa (Aubergine), 2015 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 33.5 x 78.75 x 35.5 inches 85 x 200 x 90 cm Edition of 8
Bolotas Sofa (Pistachio), 2015 Sheep’s wool and Ipê wood 33.5 x 78.75 x 35.5 inches 85 x 200 x 90 cm Edition of 8
“Nesting Instinct,� Architectural Digest, September 2019.
OFIDIA
“The Ofidia Side Table was inspired by a snake and takes its name from the Portuguese word for serpent. We wanted to focus on the process of creation of the artwork, the solidification of rope using cast bronze.�
Ofidia Mirror, 2015 Cast aluminum, glass 44 x 44 x 2 inches 112 x 112 x 5 cm Edition of 25
Ofidia Mirror, 2015 Cast bronze, glass 44 x 44 x 2 inches 112 x 112 x 5 cm Edition of 25
Ofidia Mirror, 2015 Cast red bronze, glass 44 x 44 x 2 inches 112 x 112 x 5 cm Edition of 25
Ofidia Side Table, 2015 Cast Aluminum 16.93 x 15.75 x 15.75 inches 43 x 40 x 40 cm Edition of 25
Ofidia Side Table, 2015 Cast bronze 16.93 x 15.75 x 15.75 inches 43 x 40 x 40 cm Edition of 25
Ofidia Side Table, 2015 Cast red bronze 16.93 x 15.75 x 15.75 inches 43 x 40 x 40 cm Edition of 25
Ofidia Center Table, 2015 Cast bronze 13.75 x 57 x 29.5 inches 35 x 145 x 75 cm Edition of 25
BRANCHES
Branches Sofa, 2017 Cast bronze, woven fabric 40 x 138 x 42 inches 102 x 350.5 x 107 cm Edition of 8
AUTUMN
Autumn Sofa, 2017 Cast iron, woven fabric 31 x 124 x 32 inches 80 x 315 x 81 cm Edition of 8
N OA H
Noah Bench, 2017 Cast aluminum, woven fabric 41.25 x 101 x 42 inches 105 x 256.5 x 107 cm
Noah Bench, 2017 Cast bronze, woven fabric 41.25 x 101 x 42 inches 105 x 256.5 x 107 cm
Noah Vase, 2017 Cast iron 54 x 26.25 x 20 inches 137 x 66.5 x 51 cm Unique
Noah Vase, 2017 Cast bronze 20 x 21.5 x 13 inches 51 x 54.5 x 33 cm Unique
Noah Wall Shelf, 2017 Cast bronze 34 x 73.25 x 16.75 inches 86.5 x 186 x 42.5 cm Edition of 8
Noah Side Table, 2017 Cast aluminum 22.5 x 20.5 x 15 inches 57 x 52 x 38 cm Edition of 8
Noah Candleholder, 2017 Cast bronze 49.5 x 21 x 20 inches 125.5 x 53 x 51 cm Unique
Noah Chandelier, 2018 Bronze, agate 27.5 x 26.75 x 19 inches 70 x 68 x 48 cm Edition of 8
Installation view: Hybridism, Friedman Benda, New York, 2017. 2017
Buriti Sculpture, 2017 Woven buriti fiber 64 x 35 x 19.5 inches 162.5 x 89 x 49.5 cm Edition of 8
Arachnid White Chair, 2019 Woven velvet, TauarĂ 35.5 x 47.25 x 35.5 inches 90 x 120 x 90 cm Edition of 20
Arachnid Chair, 2017 Woven velvet 48 x 58 x 45.5 inches 122 x 147 x 116 cm Edition of 8
Monkey Vase, 2019 Cast bronze 4 x 7.25 x 7 inches 10.5 x 18.5 x 18 cm Edition of 25
P L U S H / L E AT H E R
Leather Teddy Bear Sofa, 2013 Stuffed animals, stainless steel 34.75 x 63 x 48.75 inches 88 x 160 x 124 cm Edition of 8
All Animal Sofa, 2003 Stuffed animals, stainless steel 39.5 x 70.75 x 47.25 inches 100 x 180 x 120 cm Edition of 8
Disney Sofa, 2009 Stuffed animals, stainless steel, brass 31.5 x 67 x 35.5 inches 80 x 170.2 x 9 Edition of 3
Banquete Dolphins in Leather, 2011 Stuffed animals, stainless steel 34.5 x 40 x 45.25 inches 88 x 102 x 115 cm Edition of 8
Cake Stool, 2008 Stuffed animals, stainless steel 21.75 x 47.25 x 47.25 inches 55 x 120 x 120 cm Edition of 150
Cartoon Chair, 2007 Stuffed animals, stainless steel 35.5 x 45.25 x 41.5 inches 90 x 115 x 105 cm Edition of 25
Dolphins & Sharks Banquete Chair, Designed 2002 Stuffed animals, stainless steel 33.46 x 39.37 x 55.12 inches 85 x 100 x 140 cm Edition of 35
K A W S x C A M PA N A
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS Chair Black, 2018 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 36 x 50 x 40 inches 91.5 x 127 x 102 cm Edition of 25
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS Sofa Black, 2018 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 36 x 67 x 37 inches 91.5 x 170 x 94 cm Edition of 8
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS Chair Pink, 2018 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 36 x 50 x 40 inches 91.5 x 127 x 102 cm Edition of 25
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS Sofa Pink, 2018 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 36 x 67 x 37 inches 91.5 x 170 x 94 cm Edition of 8
Installation view: KAWSxCampana, Design Miami/, 2018.
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS: Companion Chair (Brown), 2019 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 36 x 52 x 41 inches 91.5 x 132 x 104 cm Edition of 25
KAWS: Companion Sofa (Brown), 2019 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 32 x 70 x 39 inches 82 x 180 x 100 cm Edition of 8
KAWS: Companion Chair (Grey), 2019 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 36 x 52 x 41 inches 91.5 x 132 x 104 cm Edition of 25
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS: Companion Sofa (Grey), 2019 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 32 x 70 x 39 inches 82 x 180 x 100 cm Edition of 8
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS: Gang, 2019 Plush toys, bronze 35 x 51 x 40 inches 89 x 130 x 102 cm Edition of 25
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS: Gang (Sofa), 2019 Plush toys, bronze 32 x 68 x 39 inches 81 x 173 x 99 cm Edition of 8
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS: Man’s Best Friend, 2018 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 37 x 52 x 42 inches 94 x 132 x 107 cm Edition of 25
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS: Man’s Best Friend Sofa, 2018 Plush toys, stainless steel, Cumaru wood 37 x 72 x 42 inches 94 x 183 x 107 cm Edition of 8
Installation view: KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness, NGV International, Melbourne, 2020.
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS: Monster, 2019 Plush toys, bronze 35 x 51 x 40 inches 89 x 130 x 102 cm Edition of 25
KAWS and Estudio Campana KAWS: Monster (Sofa), 2019 Plush toys, bronze 32 x 68 x 39 inches 81 x 173 x 99 cm Edition of 8
“Inside the Art-Filled Home of KAWS Artist Brian Donnelly,� Architectural Digest, November 2017.
Installation view: Campana Brothers: 35 Revolutions, Museum of Modern Art, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 2020 Installation Brothers: of Modern Art Riode deJaneiro, Janeiro,2021. Brazil, 2020 Installation view: view: Campana 35 Campana Campana Revolutions, Brothers Brothers: Museum -35 35 35Revolutions, Revolutions, Revolutions, of Modern Museum Art, Museum Museum Rio de of ofJaneiro, Modern Modern2020 Art, Art,ofRio Rio de Janeiro, 2020. 2020
Installation view: Campana Brothers: 35 Revolutions, Museum of Modern Art, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 2020 Installation view: Campana Brothers: 35 Revolutions, Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2020
Installation Installation view: view: Campana Campana Brothers: Brothers: 3535 Revolutions, Revolutions, Museum Museum of of Modern Modern Art, Art, RioRio DeDe Janeiro, Janeiro, 2020 Brazil, 2020 Installation view: Campana Brothers: 35 Revolutions, Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2020
CAMPANA BROTHERS FERNANDO CAMPANA
Select Solo Exhibitions
2000 – 1999
Instructor, Brazilian Museum of Sculpture, MUBE
2020
Campana Brothers: 35 Revolutions, Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro
(Museu Brasileiro da Escultura), São Paulo
2019
Jardin Suspendu (Hanging Garden), Casa de Vidro (Glass House), São Paulo
Instructor, Industrial Design Course, FAAP
2017
Campana Brothers: Hybridism, Friedman Benda, New York
1998
(Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado), São Paulo 1983
1981 – 1979
1961
IRM~AOS CAMPANA, Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba Campana Brothers: Brazilian Design Now, Pizzuti Collection Columbus
2015
Provided assistance in setting up and monitoring
Campanas/Woods, Bildmuseet, Umea Sweden
visitors to the XVII São Paulo International
2014
Biennial of Art
Keep it Glassy, Shanghai Museum of Glass, Shanghai
BA Architecture, São Paulo School of Fine Arts,
Brazilian Baroque Collection, Campana Brothers, Brazilian Embassy, Rome
São Paulo
2015 – 2009
Antibodies: The Works of Fernando & Humberto Campana 1989 – 2009, Seibu Shibuya,
Born, Brotas, São Paulo
Campana Brothers: Brazilian Design Now, Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, Lancaster
Tokyo; Kobe; Trapholt, Kolding; Oaxaca Design Center, Oaxaca; Museo Franz; Museum of Contemporary Art, Monterrey; Palm Springs Art Museum; Philbrook Museum, Tulsa; CCBB, São Paulo; Rio de Janeiro; Museu do Vale do Rio Doce, Espírito Santo; NAiM/Bureau Europa,
HUMBERTO CAMPANA
Maastricht; Fundación Pedro Barrié de la Maza, La Coruña and Vigo; Triennale Design
2000 – 1999
Museum, Milan; Museu Vale, Vila Velhal; Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein
Instructor, Brazilian Museum of Sculpture, MUBE (Museu Brasileiro da Escultura), São Paulo
1998
2014
Campana Brothers: Brazilian Design Now, Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, Lancaster
Instructor, Industrial Design Course, FAAP
Keep it Glassy, Shanghai Museum of Glass, Shanghai
(Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado), São
Recent Works Exhibition, Re:View Contemporary Gallery, Detroit
Paulo
2013
Campana Brothers: CONCEPTS, Friedman Benda, New York
1977 – 1972
BA Law, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo
Ocean, Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Paris
1953
Born, Rio Claro, São Paulo
Dangerous Luxury, Sporting d’Hiver, Montecarlo
Brazillian Baroque, David Gill Gallery, London 2013 – 2012
Campana Brothers, Museé des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
2012
Barroco Rococó, Les Arts Decoratifs, Paris
2002
Never Letting Poetry Escape, Tel Aviv Museum of Art Inventividade, Museum of Contemporary Art, Goiania
Arte de Sentar com Arte, Luciana Caravello Arte Contemporânea, Rio de Janeiro
2001
Colagens: Imãos Campana, Design Weekend, Galeria Baró, São Paulo
2000
Entre o Design e a Arte, Museum of Modern Art, São Paulo
Brazilian Baroque Collection, Brazilian Embassy Rome, Italy, Galleria Cortona, Palazzo Pamphili,
1999
Retrospectiva Campana, Casa Franca Brasil, Rio de Janeiro
2011
Piazza Navona, Rome
Materias/Materiais, Museu de Arte Modernica da Bahia, Salvador
Campana Brothers, Goodman Gallery, Cape Town
Numeros, Museu Brasileiro de Escultura, São Paulo
Fio a Fio, Salão Design São Paulo, OCA, Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo
1998 – 1995
Brasil faz Design, Palazzo Reale, Milan; Museu da Casa Brasileira, São Paulo; Museu de Arte
Fio a Fio ( Pocket Version), Casa Eletrolux, São Paulo
Moderna, Rio de Janeiro; Palazzo Reale, Milan; Liceu de Artes e Oficios da Bahia, Salvador;
Privato Romano, Galleria O Roma, Rome
Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro; Brazilian Consulate; Instituto dos Arquitetos do Brasil, Rio de
Arte de Sentar com Arte, Firma Casa, São Paulo
Janeiro
Irmãos Campana, Galeria Baró, São Paulo
1993
Glass Experiences, Waddesdon, Aylesbury
1991
2009
Instalação Garrafasm, Centre D’Art Contemporain de la Marchélarie, Versailles
1990
Organicos, Nucleon 8, São Paulo
2008
Designer of the Year, Design Miami
1989
Desconfortaveis, Arquitetura da Luz, São Paulo
2010
2007
Edicao 93, Nucleon 8, São Paulo
Esculturas, Pinacoteca do Estado do São Paulo
Campana Brothers Select. Works from the Permanent Collection, Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, New York
Awards
The Cartoon Chairs, Albion Gallery, London
2013
Campana Brothers in the Garden, John Madejski Garden, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Order of the Arts and Letters, Paris Men of the Year, GQ Brazil
Transplastic, Albion Gallery, London
2005
Campane di Campana, Moss Gallery, New York
Comité Colbert Création & Patrimoine Prize
Campana Brothers, Brazilian Embassy, Tokyo
Order of Arts and Letters, French Minister of Culture, Paris
Ideal House, IMM Cologne, Cologne
Annual Hotel Space Award, Modern Decoration International Media Awards, Shenzhen,
Zest for Life, Design Museum, London, UK; Danish Design Centre, Copenhagen
Order of Cultural Merit, Brasilia
Tank, The Design Museum, London
São Paulo Association of Art Critics Award, Design category of Visual Arts for Antibodies,
Campanas, Centro Cultural Banco do Brazil, Brazil; Firma Casa, São Paulo; Lisbon; Stockholm
São Paulo
2004
2003
Illuminar - Design Da Luz: 1920 - 2004, Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado, São Paulo
2012
Designer of the Year, Maison & Objet, Paris
2011
Special Prize at the Museu da Casa Brasileira (Brazilian House Museum), São Paulo
2008
Designer of the Year, Design Miami
Collections
Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
Philadelphia Museum of Modern Art, Philadelphia
Association Jacqueline Vodoz e Bruno Danese, Milan
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
Shanghai Museum of Glass, Shanghai
Centro Cultural Belém, Lisbon
Stedelijk Museum, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, New York
Trapholt Museum, Kolding
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas
Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein
Denver Art Museum, Denver Design Museum, Ghent Don Edelman Foundation Edson Queiroz Foundation, Fortaleza, Ceara High Museum of Art, Atlanta Israel Museum, Jerusalem Manchester City Galleries, Manchester Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris Musée d’Orsay, Paris Musée de Design et d’Arts Appliqués Contemporains, Lausanne Museu do Design e da Moda, Francisco Capelo Collection, Lisbonl Museum of Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Tel Aviv Museum of Arts and Crafts, Hamburg Museum of Arts and Design, New York Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Montréal Museum of Modern Art, New York Museum of Modern Art, São Paulo Nacional Gallery, Canberra
HUMBERTO AND FERNANDO CAMPANA: GOLDEN ERA
Heterozygotes
Rope, wooden planks, wires, bamboo, Brazilian rag
It is difficult to speak of the Campana Brothers as a unit
dolls, pipes, acrylic: all of these elements, scattered
Cédric Morisset
or homogenous entity. Often perceived as twins, the
on the ground and on the shelves of the Campana
two brothers, who resemble each other physically and
workshop in São Paulo, were the raw materials of
intellectually, are nevertheless two independent beings,
their non-conformist approach. Based on these
like protons and electrons with negative and positive
materials,
charges, evolving freely but indivisible. The Campanas are
regional craftsmanship, Fernando and Humberto
two and one at the same time. In this context, one cannot
created exuberant and well-thought-out designs,
avoid recalling one of the two brothers’ favorite stories:
going well beyond the rift between design and craft.
Following a boating accident, Humberto felt the need to
Sometimes misunderstood, these creations led
design a chair to get past his psychological shock. Recalling
them to be perceived as messengers of recycling.
the water spout, the spiral-shaped chair that resulted was
Without intending, they put the spotlight on sustainable development at a time when nobody was interested
christened Negativo (1988), a hymn to life. In response,
in the subject, and in doing so demonstrated the creative capacity of emerging countries using indigenous
Fernando designed a chair called Positivo (1988). It was
cultural and artisanal resources. Their unshakeable desire to be rid of regulations and norms, and keen sense
the perfect complement, two different interpretations of
for freedom made even stronger by years of Brazilian dictatorship, introduced them into the ranks of other
the same image, of a shared experience.
pioneering designers such as Gaetano Pesce, Alessandro Mendini and Ingo Maurer. Blurring the lines between
traditional
Brazilian
know-how
and
Leather Teddy Bear Sofa, 2013
sculpture and design, they put their creative energy in an ever-changing space that, while subject to controversy, Sustainability and Design Art Cristina Morozzi, design critic and journalist at the
was a space in which they enriched the discipline of design and offered a lesson in freedom to those shackled by convention.
magazine Interni, remembers: “I saw their work for the
Azul Chair, 1993
first time in Milan in 1995 at the ‘Brasil faz Design’ exhibit,
Cycles and Vocabularies
where they presented the Jardim Chair (1995), a prototype
In 1998, Paola Antonelli, design curator at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, presented Projects 66, an
made from recycled materials and blue plastic wires.”
exhibition that brought together the brothers and Ingo Maurer, designers with a similar vision from very different
Their unconventional approach to materials offered a
backgrounds. There, Massimo Morozzi, artistic director of Edra, discovered Fernando and Humberto Campana
refreshing and unexpected perspective on the narrative
and offered them the opportunity to produce their Vermelha Chair (1993). Composed of 500 meters of nautical
of contemporary design. The work of the Campanas had
cord, this chair aroused great interest at its unveiling because, in addition to the novelty of the image, it introduced
an explosive effect on the design milieu, then leaning
a completely manual procedure (with a result that is always different) in the context of industrial production and
towards sterile lines and high gloss finish.
strategy.
Sushi Sofa, 2010
This armchair became an instant
Contemporaneously, works designed by the Campanas for Edra became instant industrial design icons; the
classic and the first in a long series
Favela Chair (2002) made with pieces of wood, the Anemone Armchair (2001) made with plastic tubes, and
of successful pieces marked by
the Boa Sofa (2002) evoke the transfiguration of poverty and récup’ [sustainability] with intimate objects that
a
The
have a meaning but are also full of joie de vivre. The scenography they created in 2003 for the exhibition,
Vermelha Chair would mark, perhaps
Illuminar – Design Da Luz: 1920-2004 at FAAP (Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado) in São Paulo plunged us
symbolically, the end of the first
into the heart of the Amazon with its sumptuous colors and feel. “They always walk around with a camera and
phase of their work which – strictly
immortalize the Brazilian streets, the merchants and their burgeoning displays. It is a source of inspiration to
speaking – began to turn toward
them,” confides Cristina Morozzi. Cultural identity as a creative force and way of setting themselves apart in a
sculpture rather than design. As they
globalized world: this is the message of the Campana Brothers. It is embraced to the point that their name has
observe themselves, each new cycle
become synonymous with both Brazil and the pride of an entire country in full revival. “We don’t have a marketing
of creation leads them to break with
strategy to achieve our goals,” explains Fernando, “but I am proud to be compared with people like Giselle
the past in order to explore new
Bündchen and to personify Brazil.” In any case, Fernando and Humberto are moved by a desire that all Brazilians
ground.
should once more take pride in their values as a people which were taken from them by the military dictatorship.
radically
new
aesthetic.
“Every six or seven years, we are caught up in a new creative wave which takes us in a new direction. For example, after the Desconfortáveis (Uncomfortable) Series, it took us seven years to prepare a new collection that we christened Transplastic. That doesn’t mean that we did nothing else during those intervals, but our best ideas tend to come every seven years.”
São Paulo, Aesthetics of Imperfection / Pretty Ugly
“You do not understand anything about the work of Fernando and Humberto Campana if you do not take an interest in little beloved and ungrateful São Paulo,” states French journalist Elisabeth Vedrenne in one of her articles dedicated to Brazilian designers.
Brazil in their Blood Between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, Fernando and Humberto developed a new language that placed great emphasis on colorful and exuberant designs. Their creations represented a reality marked by memories of childhood and the passage to adulthood, mixing feelings of joy, happiness, sadness, sexuality, love, and even survival. Brazil and its contrasts: poverty and wealth existing side by side on the same street, and its cultural
It took me a long time to understand this. In 2003, my first contact with their universe took place at the International
Biennial of Design in Lisbon, in an exhibition hall where the floor was covered with ground plastic bottles. It was a simple and empirical approach, consisting of a cacophony of sounds, emotions and a thousand images filled with their spirit from floor to ceiling.
diversity is omnipresent in their work. 2002 is notable for their exploration of trimming and tapestry techniques
I spent a long time caught up in that simple, playful, and emotional experience until Fernando decided to show
that set the foundation for their famous Sushi Collection that gained immediate attention worldwide. The works
me his city. With its 16 million inhabitants in 1994 (20 million today), São Paulo, South America’s largest metropolis
consist of assorted textiles that are rolled and cut like Japanese maki rolls and joined together to form seats
is sprawling, endless and truly frightening. São Paulo is a chaotic conglomeration of vastly differing styles of
and backrests. The same year also saw the birth of the Animal Chairs. Made of ironically chaotic and humorous
architectures, inhabiting immigrants from all over the world, rich and poor, as far as the eye can see. It is an
combinations of stuffed animals, the Campanas introduced their wildly successful Alligator, Panda, Dolphins and
inhospitable megalopolis, illuminated by pale neon lights, polluted, overwhelmed by street traffic and traffic of
Sharks, Mickey and Minnie, and Teddy Bear Chairs.
any other imaginable kind. “That’s it, my São Paulo,” stated Fernando with a certain pride. “Just like this city, our
language is that of error, imperfection, irrationality, imprecision,” reflected Humberto.
With a boundless love for their city, the two brothers celebrate its instinct for survival, its taste for mixtures, its
This exhibit combined all of the styles developed by the brothers over several decades in unparalleled creative
way of reinterpreting and reappropriating. According to Elisabeth Vedrenne, “They give new life and dignity
release. The Pirarucu Cabinet (2013), made with the tanned skin of the Pirarucu, the largest freshwater fish
to materials by reconfiguring and using them in different ways because it is the energy of metamorphosis that
from the Amazon, juxtaposes references to the Indian heritage of Brazil with a stark formal touch. The Racket
interests the Campana Brothers.”
Collection consists of chairs and screens made of bent brass tubes and nylon weave. The Detonado Series,
When asked to define their universe, the Campana Brothers respond, quite naturally: “We are on the cutting
edge between kitsch and local reality!” This has brought them many detractors and has often led to controversy. Early on, the Campana Brothers have been accused of makeshift work, poor taste and of creating uncomfortable furniture. It is that capacity to refuse to abide by the dogmas of design and to explore other realms, including that of contemporary art, that constitutes the Campana trademark.“I love anarchy,” states Fernando provocatively and without hesitation. Just like São Paulo, the brothers’ creations permanently flirt with an idea of ugliness, but creating this dividing line between good and bad taste is more complicated to create than it appears. To get to that point, one has to ignore the rules or break them. In that sense, the Campana Brothers have created something unique in a world where it is increasingly difficult to create new and surprising objects. They are the founders of a “Brazilian style” emulated by dozens of young designers who are trying to liberate themselves stylistically.
manufactured with cane patchworks appropriated from old Thonet chairs (conceived in 1859), simultaneously pays tribute and perverts the “Campana style.” The strange and luxurious Ametista Series combines glass panels and rough hewn Brazilian Amethysts in a mixture of cleverly combined powerful, yet contradictory formal and conceptual identities.
With Artisanal, Fernando and Humberto return to Friedman Benda with a new exhibit following the direction started with Concepts. The designers, at the height of their art, are displaying their new creative period with ten new pieces. Applied to bookcases and mural consoles, the cane patchwork technique, known as Detonado, links the history of European and Modernist Brazilian furniture and the explosive 21st century as seen by the Campana Brothers. The tables taken from the Racket Collection are now applying traditional French straw marquetry to modern motifs. The Bolotas Armchair (2015), made from sheepskin volumes, provides total enveloping comfort, which is so often absent from the work of the two brothers, not to mention contemporary high-end design as
“Your work has Brazilian roots but it speaks an international language,” said Marco Romanelli, the editor-in-chief
a whole. From their experience with European centers of excellence, they have pursued rare skills that they
of the Italian magazine Domus, to Fernando and Humberto. It is that language, so rich and intense, consisting of
infused into techniques honed over two decades in their own Brazilian workshop. Humberto explains “With these
poetry and politics, terrestrial and celestial, do-it-yourself and design, pleasure and communication, that makes
pieces we are trying to revive traditions and preserve skills, such as straw inlay work but also to express a culture
the Campana Brothers’ oeuvre what it is.
through our very personal vision. As we mature, we try to be more focused, to do more with less, to pay attention not only to formal expression but also to materials which speak loud and clear.” These new works embody a
New Era / Concepts 2013 marked a turning point with the Concepts exhibit at the Friedman Benda gallery in New York. “We decided
to reduce the number of colors and focus on high quality materials,” explains Humberto. “Our palette plays with variations of bronze, brown, caramel, and yellow hues, but we still stick to manual labor, and place an emphasis on skills.” With this new cycle in their work, the brothers are continuing to identify materials and techniques inherent to Brazil and incorporating them in their creations. “Concepts is a mature collection of diverse bodies of
work that represent the mental ecosystem of the two brothers,” according to Marc Benda.
spirit where the “chic” ends and where the present amuses itself by reimagining the past. The Campana Brothers continue their creative pursuit, embracing any developments on the way, and invalidating all of the clichés.
“Growth can only come from solid roots,” French sociologist Michel Maffesoli once told me. “We have entered into a Dionysian period, and we now have a desire to embark on adventures that are anchored in our roots, rather than relying on security.” That is the promise of the Campana Brothers in presenting this latest opus.
C A M PA N A B R O T H E R S
Design: Olivia Swider Photography by: JĂŠrĂ´me Galland (AD), Oberto Gili (Artists living with Art), James Harris, Daniel Kukla, Fernando Laszlo, Adrien Millot, Annie Schlechter (NY Mag), Jason Schmidt (AD), and Luke Walker Published by Friedman Benda 515 West 26th Street New York, NY 10001 Tel. + 1 212 239 8700 www.friedmanbenda.com
A very special thanks to Estudio Campana. Content copyright of Friedman Benda and the artist.