From July 23 to September 13, 2025, Refresco, in partnership with Marli Matsumoto, a gallery based in São Paulo, presents the exhibition Margem e Contingência, curated by Daniela Avellar. The project proposes a dialogue between the works of artists Juan Casemiro (Conceição das Pedras, MG; Itajubá, MG, 1993) and Gabriel Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 1990), through the lens of how time acts upon matter. This inquiry takes place in both practices using different strategies. The exhibition will be held at the Centro Cultural dos Correios in Rio de Janeiro, as part of an institutional partnership with both art galleries.
Juan Casemiro often works with everyday, ordinary materials, many of which are found in mundane or trivial situations. The passage of time has always played a key role, imbuing these surfaces with both collective and individual histories. Gabriel Ribeiro, on the other hand, creates photographs without using a camera, employing processes that recall the early history of photography. His photograms result from the action of elemental processes upon the surface. Both artists operate, in a way, at the boundary between the desire to manipulate materials according to a plan and its margins—always open to chance and the contingent deviations inherent to the intuitive meeting between method and matter.
With gestures close to the idea of apparition and trace, it’s worth noting that Juan Casemiro occasionally uses matches in a series of works, using burning as a means of revealing form and creating an aggregate between material, object, and the adhesion of the surface. Gabriel Ribeiro, when using polyurethane foam, treats it as a photosensitive support. The artist provokes oxidation processes as a vector for image emergence, revealed through the impression of light.
The exhibition will explore both artists’ interest in observing and engaging with materials through the passage of time, even while addressing distinct concerns. The curatorial project will make use of the Centro Cultural Correios architecture to establish a spatial dialogue that highlights the points of contact between Juan and Gabriel’s practices.
About Refresco
Since 2024, Galeria Refresco has occupied a prominent exhibition space in the historic center of Rio de Janeiro, with the goal of consolidating a new generation of artists. Founder Déborah Zapata emphasizes an integrated and cross-disciplinary approach to artistic production, fostering a broad range of initiatives that span from nurturing new talent to inserting artists into the art market. This wide-reaching direction supports artistic production, establishes a more comprehensive curatorial vision, and enriches cultural dialogue among independent agents, artists, and institutions. Refresco also engages in government initiatives that support cultural activity, having been selected for major open calls in Rio de Janeiro, such as “Todas as Artes” through the Aldir Blanc Law, and “Reviver Cultural Centro.”
About Marli Matsumoto
Located in a modernist house from the late 1950s, Marli Matsumoto’s gallery was conceived as a hybrid space between the domestic and the institutional, exploring the relationship between interior and exterior. Its exhibitions span various environments, from rooms that preserve the house’s original features and its surrounding garden, to more traditional white-cube gallery spaces.
The gallery’s program features works by artists with whom it maintains ongoing collaborations, such as Elvis Almeida, Francesco João, Juan Casemiro, Leka Mendes, Mayana Redin, Natalie Braido, Ricardo Basbaum, Rosario López, and Rubiane Maia. At the same time, it holds works in its collection by renowned Brazilian artists such as Anna Maria Maiolino, Cildo Meireles, Antônio Dias, and Rubens Gerchman.
Information
Exhibition: Margem e Contingência
Centro Cultural dos Correios – Rua Visconde de Itaboraí, 20 – Downtown Rio de Janeiro
July 23 to September 13
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 12:00–7:00 PM / Saturday, 12:00–7:00 PM
Opening event: July 23, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Rating: All ages
Admission: Free
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