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.
