Brazil

Forming Ideas Brazil Research visit took place between 25 February and 10 March 2010. To find out about their experiences visit the blog.

Sao Paulo

Contemporary Brazilian artists and designers have recognized the threat of loss of traditional craft skills in their country. With inspiring and innovative projects, they are setting about to rediscover and preserve indigenous skills and at the same to bringing economic regeneration to rural areas. 

Through government initiatives such as SEBRAE and funded projects like Laboratorio Piracema, Central ArteSol and FABER, artists and designers are collaborating in fighting poverty, rising to environmental challenges and presenting traditional craft in a new way relevant to contemporary living. Rural collectives are uncompromising in maintaining the ‘hand-made’ process in the production of objects that reflect Brazil’s rich cultural influences and strong links to modernism.

The forming Ideas Cohort visited leading institutions, individuals and carried out field trips. The full Brazil itinerary is available here

 

A visit to Projecto Arrastao (image by Sara Roberts)