Mendes Wood DM was founded in 2010 by partners Felipe Dmab, Matthew Wood and Pedro Mendes with the aim of exhibiting Brazilian and international artists in a context conducive to critical dialogue and cross-pollination. Inspired by the belief that artistic practices broaden the scope of human action and have the power to touch and transform the world, Mendes Wood DM cultivates a program premised on conceptualism, political resistance and intellectual rigor.

In 2017, Mendes Wood DM opened its first North American venue in New York with a series of double exhibitions juxtaposing the historical and the contemporary; including artists such as Lucas Arruda and On Kawara, Sonia Gomes and A.R. Penck.

In the same year, Mendes Wood DM expanded its presence in Europe with a new gallery in Brussels, founded in partnership with long-time friend and collaborator Carolyn Drake Kandiyoti. Located in a historic house, the gallery develops ambitious curatorial projects and monographic exhibitions, besides hosting artists and curators in residence. The residency is an inherent part of the gallery's project to establish a space for active exchange, creation and reformulation of varied artistic narratives.