Originally from Spain and based in Berlin, PSJM brings together the duo Pablo San José (1969) and Cynthia Viera (1973).
At the beginning of his career, San José worked in advertising and decided in
1998 to launch his own artist brand, PSJM, whose slogan is ‘the artist is the
brand, work is the product’. In 2003, Viera, a management graduate, joined the
project and allowed what was once a ‘corporate fiction’ to become a reality:
PSJM is now a full-fledged commercial brand, whose logo is deliberately similar
to that of a multinational.
The merger of these two totally different profiles generated an
association working around economic and political themes, in connection with
the history of art. They approach the art market, communicate with consumers of
art and culture, functionality as well as artistic quality, while appropriating
capitalist strategies and resources. "Our work reflects general
socio-economic problems," says the duo. From paper to sculpture, they
imagine their works on media as varied as wood, aluminium, linen, paper or even
video.
PSJM develops politically committed projects, such as Made for Kids by Kids (2007), a series of light boxes showcasing Mickey's silhouette
with this slogan, in the characteristic Disney font, evoking the children
exploited in developing countries, to reduce production costs. The BPS22
featured in its One Shot!
Football et art contemporain another series of the duo, combining famous sports brands with the
slogan "Made by slaves for
free people". The series, originally conceived as a public sculpture, never left the
museums.
PSJM is indicative of a significant change in the role of the artist in
our society and in the history of art. The duo questions the status of the
artist, who can now be designer, curator, creator, manager, publicist, etc.
Their work strategy questions the structure of the world of art and society.
Thus, the Marx® project (2004-2008), the complete
creation of a clothing brand, including advertising campaigns, in-store
presentations, etc., is an invitation to reflect on the paradoxes of fashion
and consumption.
PSJM is featured in several international
exhibitions, giving them great visibility on the artistic scene. Let's notably
remember The Real Royal Trip ... by
the Arts at the
PS1-MOMA in New York, the 56th Venice Biennale, One Shot! at
the Museu Brasileiro da Escultura in São Paulo or the exhibition Off Street at A Foundation in London.
