Simone Mattar works with design, performance and gastronomy, both independently and in combination, in a variety of contexts and venues, as well as in different creative platforms.
She explores gastronomic aesthetics for its expressive potential and has created the neologism “gastroperformance” in order to establish the contours of a new form of
self-expression which enacts a lively dialogue between design, gastronomy and creative expression where food is experienced as a total art form.
A gastroperformance seeks to imbue gastronomy with critical thinking by associating the act of eating to diverse mediums such as dance, music, sculpture and painting, and uses the materiality of food –its flavours, textures, shapes and colours– to distil musings on various topics. Simone Mattar has done design projects for more than 100 restaurants and food sector companies, and today she is committed to experimental projects presented or staged in museums, art galleries and other cultural venues in Brazil and around the world.
After graduating in Graphic Design from the Armando Álvares Penteado Foundation (FAAP) and studying Architecture at Mackenzie University, she worked with Andréa Rauch and Stefano Rovai, at Graphiti, in Florence, Italy, doing design for social and cultural projects. She represented Brazilian graphic arts in exhibitions in Milan. She has often served as director of the Association of Graphic Designers (ADG). She organised ADG’s Design Biennale exhibition at SESC Pompéia, and created its Technology and Design Commission.
From her experience in Italy, she gained the confidence to start her own studio, Mattar Design, in 1990. It was not long before her business took off and, with clients from several different trades, she earned wide recognition and critical acclaim from professionals and companies. Even amid success, though, her innovative mindset pushed harder and the studio began to adopt a more experimental character by carrying out projects in the service of concepts. Thus, in 2006 Mattar Design changed to LabMattar, a name that points to a new way of regarding projects as pertaining to the sphere of human actions and development.
In 2013, she was invited to join Food of War, a multidisciplinary artist collective with travelling exhibitions in several countries. She created “Fome Come” (2012),
a gastroperformance cocktail offered at the 30th São Paulo Biennale;
“Como Penso Como” (2013) a project first offered at Sesc Pompéia, São Paulo, and again in 2015 at the Electrolux House; “35 Fragments”, a gastroperformance at the Brazilian embassy in Madrid, and reprised for SP-Arte in 2016, and at Senac in 2018;
the “Pig Opera” (2018), presented at Galeria Rabieh, São Paulo, and in Bogotá’s Museum of Contemporary Art in 2019. In 2015 she joined “Clouded Lands”, an exhibition to remember the Chernobyl disaster, first held at the JustMad art fair in Madrid, then at the Arsenal Museum in Kiev, then in Berlin (2016), in Burgos, Spain (2017), and in London (2018). In 2019, she joined “White Anxiety”, an exhibition at New York’s White Box Art Space, curated by Raúl Zamudio and Juan Puentes.

Exhibitions and projects

Lo Come Lo Cura

Gastroperformance at Elvira Moreno Gallery

Bogotá – Colombia




2021

Conference

Areandina University

Valledupar - Colombia




2020

Branding and logo for the city of Salvador

Salvador – Bahia




2019

Food of War

Gastroperformance

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Bogotá

Bogotá, Colombia



2018

Eu Mundo. Eu Muro.

Gastroperformance

Art Soul

Museu A Casa

São Paulo, Brazil




2018

35 Fragments

Gastroperformance

SENAC Aclimação

São Paulo, Brazil




2018

The invisible hand

Gastroperformance at the exhibition “White Anxieties”

White Box Gallery

New York, US




2018

Naked Eye

Gastroperformance

Quimera Atelier

São Paulo, Brazil




2018

Insect Flesh

Gastroperformance

Zonamaco: Feria de Arte

Universidad de la Comunicación

Mexico City, Mexico




2018

Pé de verso

Gastroperformance FRU.TO

Unibes Cultural

São Paulo, Brazi

2017 Ephemeral Concrete Edible installation Brazilian booth at the Anuga Food Fair Cologne, Germany 2017  Pig Opera Gastroperformance at SP Arte Rabieh Gallery São Paulo, Brazil 2017 Black Cloud Edible installation Food of War Artist Collective: “Clouded Lands” Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Caja de Burgos Burgos, Spain 2016 Black Cloud Edible installation Food of War Artist Collective: “Clouded Lands” International Peace Bureau Berlin, Germany 2016 Black Cloud Edible installation Food of War Artist Collective: “Clouded Lands” Arsenal National Art Museum Kiev, Ukraine 2016 Soviet Roulette Gastroperformance Food of War Artist Collective: “Clouded Lands” Mystetskyi Arsenal National Art Museum Kiev, Ukraine 2016 35 Fragments Gastroperformance SP Arte Bienal Ibirapuera São Paulo, Brazil 2015 Como Penso Como Gastroperformance Electrolux House São Paulo, Brazil 2015 Como Penso Como Gastroperformance Electrolux House São Paulo, Brazil 2015 35 Fragments Gastroperformance Arco: Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo Brazilian Embassy Madrid, Spain 2015 Black Cloud Edible installation Food of War Artist Collective: “Clouded Lands” Feria de Arte JustMad Madrid, Spain 2013 Como Penso Como Gastroperformance Solo exhibition SESC Pompéia São Paulo, Brazil 2012 Fome Come Gastroperformance Food design exhibition 30th Biennale São Paulo, Brazil 2012 Food Design Conference, workshops Bezalel Academy of Art and Design Jerusalem, Israel 2012 Concretist Brunch Edible installation Osvaldo Costa Gallery São Paulo, Brazil 2012 Ephemeral Concrete Edible installation Food design installation Luciana Caravello Gallery Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2010 Gelúminas Gastroperformance International Design Panorama: “Safety Nest” SESC Pinheiros São Paulo, Brazil 2009 Comedoria Branding and logo of SESC Restaurants São Paulo, Brazil 2009 Brazilian Design Today: Frontiers MAM: Museu of Modern Art São Paulo, Brazil 2008 Exhibition - SESC Restaurants BID: Interamerican Design Biennale Madrid, Spain 2008 Gelúminas Gastroperformance Food design exhibition Mesa São Paulo, SENAC São Paulo, Brazil 2007 Projeto Comedorias do SESC BID: Interamerican Design Biennale Madrid, Spain 2007 Gelúminas, Light-Eating Poetry Gastroperformance 1st International Design Panorama: “Safety Nest” Post office Cultural Centre Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2006 1st Brazilian Design Biennale Contemporary Overview International Design Show SESC Pinheiros São Paulo, Brazil 2004 Penguin Prize for brewer’s branding Brazil Does Design Ibrit: Istituto Brasile Italia Milan, Italy 2002 Designers by Designers Prize offered by “Design Gráfico” magazine São Paulo, Brazil 2002 Gold prize - SESC Pompéia ADG’s Design Biennale São Paulo, Brazil 2002 International Design Biennale Ecodesign Section Milan, Italy 2001 São Paulo Biennales’ 50th Anniversary Design Wing São Paulo, Brazil 2001 ADG’s Design Biennale 2000 Choice exhibition São Paulo, Brazil 2000 Brazil Does Design Galeria Società Umanitaria Milan, Italy 1999 Barilla Design Show – Food Design MASP: São Paulo Art Museum São Paulo, Brazil 1998 ADG’s Graphic Design Biennale Choice exhibition São Paulo, Brazil 1998 Design exhibition ICOGRADA: International Council of Graphic Designers Punta del Este, Uruguay 1998 Design exhibition - ADG Saint-Étienne International Design Biennale Saint-Etienne, France 1998 International Design Biennale Brazilian participation Milan, Italy 1998 Icograda Congress, ADG Punta del Este, Uruguay 1997 Brazil Does Design Ibrit: Istituto Brasile Italia Milan, Italy 1996 ADG’s Design Biennale SESC Pompéia São Paulo, Brazil 1996 3rd Graphic Design Biennale MIS: Museum of Image and Sound São Paulo, Brazil 1996 Brazil Does Design Ibrit: Istituto Brasile Italia Milan, Italy 1995 Brazil Also Does Design Brazilian House Museum São Paulo, Brazil 1994 ADG’s Design Biennale SESC Pompéia São Paulo, Brazil 1994 Computer Graphics Show SENAC São Paulo, Brazil 1993 1st International Image Technologies Studio SESC Pompéia São Paulo, Brazil 1993 Conference at Next Generation of Graphic Designers Design Exhibition ICOGRADA: International Council of Graphic Designers Glasgow, Scotland 1992 ADG Expo 90–92 MIS: Museum of Image and Sound The New Brazilian Graphic Design São Paulo, Brazil 1985 Painting Exhibition curated by Mariano Mariotti Piazza Santo Spirito Florence, Italy

Awards

2008 Designers by Designers – First prize

2006 Selection of the Hannover Design Forum, Hannover, Germany

2004 Gold Award – Graphic Design Biennale; “Empório Santa Maria” São Paulo, Brazil

2003 Gold Award – Graphic Design Biennale; “O Gato que Ri”, São Paulo, Brazil

2002 Gold Award – Graphic Design Biennale; “SESC Bertioga”, São Paulo, Brazil

2002 Gold Award – Graphic Design Biennale; “Salton Talento”, and “Salton Desejo” São Paulo, Brazil

2000 Gold Award – Graphic Design Biennale; “SESC Bertioga”, São Paulo, Brazil

2002 Brazil Does Design Award; “Pingüim”, São Paulo, Brazil