The large, concrete silos at Granville Island got a facelift this summer, and I mean that quite literally. Just weeks ago, world-renowned Brazilian artists known as “OSGEMEOS” transformed 6, 23-metre tall concrete cylinders into iconic works of art – “Giants.” Other than being a photo-worthy place to visit in Vancouver, here are some quick & interesting facts on the OSGEMEOS Vancouver project:
About OSGEMEOS
- Os Gemeos is Portuguese for “The Twins.” Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo are identical and are said to have worked together since birth.
- Os Gemeos have done other murals all over the world, in places like Los Angeles, New York, Lisbon and of course, their home country, Brazil.
- All of their work has a meaning – whether it be political, mystical, playful or funny.
About the Giants
- Before the “Giants” project began, Gustavo and Otavio were keen to do something they had never done before. They wanted to find a place where their art could be transformed, creating “a dialogue between the two-dimension and three-dimensional worlds.” The silos at Granville Island were, therefore, ideal for their vision to bring new characters/perspectives to Vancouver.
- OS GEMEOS raised funding for the project by partnering with the Vancouver Biennale (see below) and through an Indiegogo campaign! Their original goal was to raise $22K from crowd-funding; they achieved their goal…and ~$40K more.
- The 360-degree, 23-metre tall (75 ft) mural, the biggest public mural of their career to date and their first in Canada. The mural measures a total 7,200 square meters (23,500 sq feet).
- It took 1,400 cans of spray paint to bring the Giants to life!
About the Vancouver Biennale
- The Vancouver Biennale is a non-profit charitable organization that exhibits great art in public space.They see great public art as an economic driver in creating magnetic cultural attractions for visitors, and creatively-inspired communities.
- The Biennale is most well-known for transforming the urban landscape into an “Open Air Museum” – the photos below are projects around Vancouver (taken from the Vancouver Biennale website).
Other Fun Facts
- The silos used for the OSGEMEOS Giants project actually belong to Ocean Concrete, one of Granville Island’s original tenants.
- To date, 100 artists from 27 countries and 4 continents have participated in the Vancouver Biennale with 124 public art interventions. The Biennale has also facilitated the donation of $2.5 million dollars worth of public art to Vancouver. (The A-maze-ing Laughter sculptures at English Bay – pictured above – were actually donated by Lululemon founder, Chip Wilson, and his wife Shannon.)
- Rockstar VFT guide, Manuela (aka. Bammer, Bamuela, Ms. Venezuela), host of all 3 of our Foodie Tours, actually used to work for the Biennale. She was the first to tell us about this project! 🙂
We’re thrilled to have another piece of culture with such a unique story to share on our Foodie Tours! Congratulations to OSGEMEOS, The Vancouver Biennale, and Granville Island on this tremendous work!
Thanks for the read! Have a great week, Foodies!
