Organized by the Furniture Industry Association of Bento Gonçalves (Sindmóveis) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, (Apex-Brasil), the Raiz Project – an initiative to promote the internationalization of the national designers, will participate in the Design Week in Milan from April 17 – 22 as part of the program held by Be Brasil.
The exhibition will feature the great miscegenation of the country and the resulting culture of varied origins translated into pieces that explore Brazilian approaches to seating by means of celebration, work, religion or rest. An overview of the historical importance of this position for Brazil will be given by Ethel Leon, a journalist and professor of the Design History. "A target of so many migration flows, Brazil presents, even after the great 20th century’s Westernizing and universalizing trend, a wide variety of approaches to seating. It is very common to find groups of women who weave or sew seated on the ground, cross-legged with an upright spine, an inheritance of many indigenous peoples, but also a posture close to that of Japanese descendants in their traditional houses located in southeastern and southern Brazil," says the historian.
The evolution of the Brazilian designers’ traits and inspirations is combined with the cultural customs and the natural variety found in Brazil, multiplicity capable of adding unique characteristics to the products. Ethel also comments on this point exhibited in the show: "Modern Brazilian furniture has never ignored the production of the great international masters, having consolidated its own traditions, which are based mainly on the use of native wood, with different densities, colors and textures. When an armchair with a solid wood base is well designed and manufactured, it lasts for more than a hundred years, which is enough time to renovate the raw material.”
Designers and studios participating in the exhibition include Alessandra Delgado, Andrea Macruz, Aristeu Pires, Carol Gay, Daniela Ziegler, estudiobola, Fahrer, Faro Design, Gustavo Martini, Guto Indio da Costa, Jader Almeida, Larissa Batista, Lattoog, Leo Romano, Marta Manente, NDT Design, Noemi Saga, Paulo Alves, Quadrante, Renata Rubim Design & Cores, Reboh Design, Roberta Rampazzo Design, Ronald Sasson, Tora Brasil and Wagner Archella. The initiative aims to strengthen the positioning of Brazilian designers, highlighting their creativity, innovation and growth potential in the foreign market. The products were chosen through the specialized curatorship of the organizations and highlight the key attributes of the national design: creativity, innovation and sustainability. The companies will also take part in business meetings with international buyers, fostering the business relationship between the participants. After the exhibition, the pieces will be exhibited at the Embassy of Brazil in London, following the program of the Raiz Project roadshows, scheduled for the Design Week in London in September.
Raiz Project – Be Brasil at the Design Week 2018 in Milan
Date: April 17 – 22, 2018
Venue: BE BRASIL – Via Maroncelli 14, 20154, Milan, Italy
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