João Maria Gusmão & Pedro Paiva

João Maria Gusmão and Pedro Paiva have been collaborating since 2001 to make what they call “poetic philosophical fictions.” Most of their works take the form of sculpture, installation, and short film featuring amateur actors and low-tech effects; their pieces demonstrate an ongoing interest in the paranormal, the inexplicable, illusion, and the complexity in the production of images. An early series titled “DeParamnésia” (2001-02) engaged with subjects related to perception, the unconscious, and déjà vu. Their practice has since become more research-based. For example, their latest works expand upon Abissologia, a term coined by the French author René Daumal, which describes the science of the abyss.