Mandril is the first solo exhibition of São Paulo-based artist Fabio Menino in Rio de Janeiro, curated by Daniela Avellar. Taking place between June 22 and August 12, 2023, Mandril features 15 oil and beeswax paintings on canvas, each depicting figures of common everyday objects. The artist conducts a study of these materials that permeate various life choreographies, whether in domestic or urban environments. These include figures like water jugs, gas canisters, ironing boards, washing machines, hoses, and tools—objects that, while seemingly trivial, resonate in these images as singular and unique. Menino’s choice of an everyday aesthetic transforms into an authentic poetic tool.

Displayed on floating easels and avoiding the conventional use of gallery walls, the works take on an inert form in the space, further enhanced by Menino’s decision to depict the objects floating against a monochromatic background. The result is an “auratic” elevation of these items—a desire to isolate them for close analysis or simply for contemplative estrangement.

In the words of the exhibition’s curator, Daniela Avellar, “The objects painted by the artist are artifacts that end up blending with their functionality, while simultaneously constructing part of the everyday landscape. They are things we are always looking at, which is why it never seems like we are seeing them for the first time, but instead, we are seeing them again and again. As we articulate these objects, the everyday is being created and shaped.” In this sense, the name mandril takes on significance: it is a specific key for tightening screws in drills. A figure that appears entirely common to our eyes, yet whose name is unknown to many. The estrangement evoked by Menino is similar: an invitation to look at familiar things and reflect on what they truly are.