Brazilian Duo Bringing First U.S. Solo Show To Fifty24SF

Brazilian Duo Bringing First U.S. Solo Show To Fifty24SF

Instagram / Bicicleta Sem Freio

Mike Gaworecki
Published on April 30, 2015

Brazilian illustrators and muralists Douglas de Castro and Renato Perreira — a.k.a. Bicicleta Sem Freio — have created show posters for everyone from Jurassic 5 to Haim to Alabama Shakes to Beck to Vampire Weekend. Now they’re bringing their first U.S. solo show, “This Is Not A Poster,” to Fifty24SF (218 Fillmore St.). The show opens this Friday.

Castro and Perreira, whose collective nom de art means “Bicycle Without Brakes” in Portuguese, are “Recognized worldwide for their expressive line work and warm, vibrant color schemes,” according to a press release. Last year, they painted a “building-sized” mural in Los Angeles that is now considered to be the city’s largest.

For “This Is Not A Poster,” they’ve applied their signature style, which pays homage to '80s aesthetics and pop iconography, to a series of posters for fictitious bands.

“The essential idea is that we love posters,” Castro and Perreira say in the press release, “and we wanted to do a show with fake posters with no info, the letterings are only ornamental and don’t mean anything.”

Trevor Martin, gallery director at Fifty24SF, says the decision to feature Bicicleta Sem Freio was simple: he wanted the gallery to be the first to showcase the duo’s work in the United States.

The opening party starts at 7pm this Friday, May 1st. “Just a good ol’ opening,” Martin told Hoodline when asked what’s in store. “They happen to be in a rock band too so we might be playing their jams as well!”

Castro and Perreira will be in attendance at the opening party. While they’re in town, they’re also painting a mural at the Hotel des Arts in Union Square.

“This Is Not A Poster” opens at Fifty24SF (218 Fillmore St.) on May 1st at 7pm and runs until June 15th. Fifty24SF is open Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm-6pm.