Antibodies: The Works of Fernando and Umberto Campana

"Untitled" (Children's Chair) by Fernando and Umberto Campana (Photo Courtesy of Palm Springs Art Museum)From November 10 through February 24, The Palm Springs Art Museum will present Antibodies: The Works of Fernando and Humberto Campana from 1989 through 2009. Fernando and Humberto are Brazilian artists and designers known for their avant-garde furniture design, which first began appearing in 1983. The exhibition includes over 70 pieces of furniture, in addition to prototypes, experiments, models, artwork, films, interviews, photographs, and objects collected by the designers.

"Yellow Corallo" by Fernando and Humberto Campana (Photo Courtesy of Palm Springs Art Museum)The Campana brother's work is influenced by contemporary art, film, and music, the street life of Brazilian slums, and the country's unusual natural forms. Themes of globalization and sustainability weave throughout vibrant and captivating work. The pair frequently manipulate waste products such as paper, wire, plastic, fabric, felt, carpet, rubber, and wood, recycling them to create new forms. They call their process “a flirt with materials” because the material dictates the form and function of their work. The Campana brothers, though clearly innovative artists, consider their work functional in nature and accentuate the structural complexity of their designs.

Aster Papposus Sofa by Fernando and Humberto Campana (Photo Courtesy of Palm Springs Art Museum The exhibition, on loan from the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany, will be held in the McCallum wing of the PSAM.