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Established in 2010 and consolidated in its present form in 2013, Underdogs works with a diversified roster of Portuguese and international artists connected with the urban inspired contemporary art universe, fostering the development of close relationships between creators, the public, and the city with the aim of promoting art as an everyday experience.
Born and raised in the Islamic Republic of Iran, ICY and SOT have experienced first-hand a life or risk and repression in the name of art. Working covertly in the streets of the country's silenced cities for many years, the two brothers used their creativity to actively engage with their fellow compatriots, sowing wherever and whenever possible the seeds of hope and compassion in the name of freedom, truth, and social justice. Currently based in New York, the two artists have managed to turn their original creative dissent into a bold, poetic practice that has become internationally renowned for its use of simple yet high-impacting imagery that continues to give voice to their ardent struggle for a better world. Working both indoors and outdoors, their unique visual language has been delivering powerful, moving statements on the present-day human condition, demonstrating that art and activism are still important tools in an age of growing social indifference, numbness, and alienation.
“Faces of Society”, their first exhibition at Underdogs Gallery, delves into some of the most striking contradictions behind our affluent societies, bringing to light the often-unacknowledged role played by the countless invisible people who help prop them up from deep within their shadows, in contrast with the self-absorbed, desensitised stance of many of those who reap the benefits of their labour.
