We also had the chance to talk to some of the entities present at the launching of CULTURE.
“The artisan also needs design to able to make the pieces that are valued nowadays”
Nuno Barra, Marketing and New Product Development Director at Vista Alegre Atlantis, believes that “there are many points of contact, eventually there are even new types of products that can start from here”. When we talk about artisanal techniques and design, applied to the world of luxury goods, Nuno Barra clarifies: “It’s the combination of the two areas, not even design can do it, it will never be able to make its pieces without the collaboration of the artisan and the artisan also needs design to able to make the pieces that are valued nowadays. Because what is valued today won’t be what is valued in twenty years, things change. But that joint collaboration, and I really believe in all of the areas, either there’s a collaboration among the areas or there’s always something missing. Just like the creation of the product and the billing of the company, if there isn’t a combination of these several areas something will fail during the process, there has to be a collaboration”.
“it’s an extremely ambitious project, but it’s extraordinary, and it’s in line with what’s fought for at a national level and at a European level, for the development of our craftsmanship sector”
Luís Rocha, Director of CEARTE – Centre for the Professional Training in Craftsmanship, believes “that it’s an extremely ambitious project, but it’s extraordinary, and it’s in line with what’s fought for at a national level and at a European level, for the development of our craftsmanship sector and to sell Portugal out there and in here with what distinguishes us, what identifies us and what makes us different”. Luís Rocha emphasizes that what makes the project different is its commercial nature because “without marketing, without selling, without money, none of us believe, none of us live and, therefore, this is also a great asset of the project”.
Luís Rocha also tells us about the possibility of the existence of artist residencies, through partnerships between CULTURE project and CEARTE, even though he knows that “it isn’t easy especially in Portugal, most of our artisans are still very closed off to these types of questions, fortunately, we have a group of new artisans, with a different training, with a different openness to the world and that already have, let’s say, some availability, they already have a better understanding of the assets that they themselves can have from the openness to projects like this”, he concludes.
On the other hand, Ricardo Triães, Director of the Preservation and Restoration Laboratory, Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, says he believes that the CULTURE project“has much of what is the DNA of our institution, the work of preservation and restoration is essentially about those assets that in some way, either because of the materials, either because of the techniques, or even because of the artists and craftsman and artisans involved, are the objects of greater quality and greater importance. (…) In other words, it’s those assets, let’s say, that through the journey of our history allowed the creation of a strong identity with a more or less extended community, but with a strong cultural identity”. Regarding the possibility of the students participating in artist residencies, he says that “namely the master’s students, that can also dedicate themselves a bit more to the study of those techniques”. Ricardo Triães emphasises that it’s important to “leave that knowledge so that, nowadays, the artisans and designers, the artists, can also have a foundation of work, in some way respecting that which were the traditional techniques and the traditional materials”. And he concludes: “This experience of developing the traditional techniques, that they’ve learned in the program, allows them, let’s say, to create here other alternatives in their professional journey”.
In this first gathering were represented the following entities:
- AARN – Association of Artisans from the North Region of Portugal
- Allen’s Portugal
- AORP – Portuguese Association of Jewellery and Watches
- APIMA – Portuguese Association of Furniture Industry
- “Portugal à Mão” Association – Centre for the Study and Promotion of Portuguese Arts and Trades
- CEARTE – Centre for the Professional Training in Craftsmanship
- CENFIM – Centre for the Professional Training in the Metallurgical and Metal-mechanic Industry
- CINDOR – Centre for the Professional Training in the Jewellery and Watches Industry
- Designer Raul Pinho
- Designer Toni Grilo
- Diário de Notícias
- FEUP – Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto
- FPAO – Portuguese Arts and Trades Federation
- Gondomar’s Institute of Employment and Professional Training
- Polytechnic Institute of Tomar
- Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave
- ISMAI – University Institute of Maia
- Oficinas Santa Bárbara
- Art Promoter Nuno Ribeiro
- Topázio
- University of Aveiro
- Vista Alegre
Besides Brhands Foundation, in which CULTURE project is in, Covet Group is also responsible for the Luxury Design & Craftsmanship Summit. All of these initiatives have the purpose of bringing to life the mission chosen by the Group: Elevate Design and Craftsmanship.
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