Marcelo Conrado - What is original?

When the artist Marcelo Conrado asks ‘what is original?’ he makes us wonder about a universe of anonymous information surrounding us, from a random dialogue between friends to graffiti, messages shared on social networks or traditional truck bumper phrases. It is a pleasure for the Oscar Niemeyer Museum to hold this exhibition, which will certainly prompt everyone of us to interesting reflections. With a Doctorate in Art Authorship, Conrado brings to the Museum questions on the concept of originality in contemporary art. After all, what is art and what is authorship? Does something that belongs to no one belong to everybody? What matters to him is what the reflection of every one of us will be like when we come across with his works, rather than the answers to said questions. With this in mind,the artist exhibits photos collected from image databases, which become instigating when anonymous phrases are added to them.In a fine balance between image and text, he also exhibits his paintings. Influenced by other artists, his paintings keep raising the fundamental question that guides his proposal– what is original for you? [Juliana Vellozo Almeida Vosnika | Chief Executive Officer]

Guimarães Rosa

The artist is a great collector ofphrases. The works displayedin this exhibition have beenproduced with anonymousphrases taken from socialnetworks, graffiti and casualchats. Some of them have beenoffered to the artist by the public.Write a phrase on a piece ofpaper available on the tableand then hang it on the line ofideas. It might be used in thenext works.