OSGEMEOS Endless Story at Hirshhorn Museum in DC
Os gemeos means the twins in Portuguese. Twins Gustavo and Octavio Pandolfo are the artists behind this unique display of color and creativity. This exhibit takes you through their upbringing in São Paulo, Brazil in the 80’s and shows how their identity is reflected through art. From nods to American culture to their love of science fiction, you will see paintings, drawings, sculptures and graffiti from the past 40 years throughout this exhibit.
Things- to-Know about the Exhibit
Hirshhorn’s OSGEMEOS Endless Story exhibit opens September 29, 2024 through August 3, 2025.
- Location: On the National Mall at 7th and Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20560
- Find it on the 3rd floor of the Hirshhorn Museum next to Mark Bradford: Pickett’s Charge.
- Nearest metro station: L’enfant Plaza on the orange, yellow, blue, green and silver lines (exit A, Maryland Ave & 7th Street)
- Hours of Operation: Daily from 10:00 am – 5:30 pm
- Admission is FREE but timed passes are required for this exhibit. You can reserve them through the Hirshhorn’s website.
When you enter the Hirshhorn, make sure to stop by the information desk to grab the exhibit’s Artist Blackbook. These are also located outside of the exhibit but it may be good to read prior to entering the space to get a feel for the exhibit and the interactiveness of it. The information desk can also provide pencils, if needed.
Your Artist Blackbook
Your Artist Blackbook contains:
- An introduction to the artists, Gustavo and Octavio
- “Lettering”, where you can create your own graffiti
- “Characters”, where you can sketch your own characters
- “Collaborations”, where you can draw your own stencil
- “Tritrez”, where you can combine your sketches and drawings to create your own world
- “Music”, where you can create your own speaker
- “Murals”, which prompts you to find art in your own world
The Hirshhorn provides handy guides like this for most of their exhibits, which are really helpful for kids (& adults) who may want something extra when following along.
Is it Kid-friendly?
Short answer: Yes, but…
There are some things to keep in mind when visiting this exhibit. Some of the paintings and sculptures display a bit of nudity, as shown in the examples below. Of course it’s an art museum so the forms of nudity are shown in an artistic way, which may or may not be a deal breaker for your family.
Other things about this exhibit families might enjoy:
- There’s a Zoetrope, which represents 19th century animation. The stationary objects are align on a circular object and then made to spin to create the illusion of animation. It is turned on daily at 11:00 am for viewing. This portion includes a bit of nudity and may get a bit scary for the younger kids being as though it’s in a dimly lit room. It is highly informative for the future artists and animators of older age groups!
- There’s also a moon room, which younger kids may get a kick out of. It might remind you of the book Goodnight Moon. An interactive exercise for this portion of the exhibit could include calling out all the things you see in the room including a giant glowing moon.
More on the Hirshhorn Museum
The Hirshhorn is one of our favorite art museums to visit! My daughter Liv learned about how light creates shadows here during a previous trip and my son Jack loved picking out hidden objects in a variety of art work.
They do a phenomenal job in catering to kids. From art carts to online resources and a kid-friendly newsletter, the Hirshhorn has much to offer families visiting with kids. I invite you to check out their kids content to begin planning your next trip!