Igniting a tension between humor and the political, Adriano Costa exposes the nuances of the cultural value systems placed on objects. His works are not governed by specific rules or ideas, instead they inhabit a realm of neutrality, incorporating disparate materials such as concrete, paper, bronze, cloth, wire, wood, and countless other detritus. Much more about reality through the use of tragic irony than about originality within the process of creation, Costa provokes a reflection on the real value of works of art, addressing the question of how ordinary materials or even noble materials can be transmuted in an art object and vice versa.

Adriano Costa (1975, São Paulo) lives and works in São Paulo, Brazil.

His solo exhibitions include Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne (2018); Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo (2018); David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles (2016); Mendes Wood DM, São Paulo (2015). Additionally, his work has been included in institutional group exhibitions such as in Seattle Art Museum, Seattle (2017); Lothringer13 Halle, Münich (2017); Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo & Musee D’Art Contemporain de Lyon, France (2014).