Bottega Veneta honoured Brazilian culture on May 24 with a one-of-a-kind artistic program that will be hosted at Lina Bo Bardi’s Casa de Vidro in São Paulo.
The public square The cultural exchange series, known as The Square, was launched by the brand in 2022 in Dubai, and a second instalment was held in Tokyo the following year. Sao Paulo is the most recent part in the series. Matthieu Blazy is in charge of the creative direction of the series, which brings together artists, visitors, and the general public for immersive, site-specific events that spark curiosity and dialogue while championing the Bottega Veneta principles of craft, creativity, and self-expression. “Casa de Vidro is one of my favorite places. It’s a real inspiration to meet here with artists from across generations, across disciplines, and across Brazil to celebrate Lina Bo Bardi’s legacy and the richness of Brazilian culture. Bottega Veneta is all about timeless style. With The Square São Paulo, we recognize how Lina’s ideas and aesthetics resonate to this day, always reminding us of the transformative power of design and culture.” shares Bottega Veneta‘s Matthieu Blazy
Bottega Veneta will celebrate its ten-year anniversary in Brazil today with “The Square” Sao Paulo. The event, which was curated by Mari Stockler, moves beyond the custom square constructions of Dubai and Tokyo and instead takes place in the square form within the lush environment of Casa de Vidro, a hallmark of Brazilian modernism. During the course of the 11-day event, artists and artworks from all over Brazil will come together to celebrate Brazilian creativity in all of its various manifestations, pay tribute to the legacy of architect Lina Bo Bardi, who was born in Italy, and investigate the ways in which she interacted with Brazilian culture.
“From the modernist project to her embrace of the power of Brazilian popular culture and collaboration with the counterculture, Lina challenged norms and developed ideas that crossed chronological time like arrows and are, today, an essential perspective of Brazilian identity. With The Square São Paulo, we dive into her revolutionary thinking. The event is designed as a dialogue. We provoke time by contrasting Lina’s objects with works by modern and contemporary artists in an exchange between past, present, and possible futures,” adds curator of The Square in Sao Paulo Mari Stockler.
The Square So Paulo will be open to the public beginning on May 27 and continuing through June 3. 27 May to 03 June. Participating talents at The Square São Paulo include Arnaldo Antunes, Ibã Salles, Vivian Caccuri, Luiz Zerbini, Carlito Carvalhosa, Rosana Paulino, Alaíde Costa, Lenora de Barros, Cristiano Lenhardt, Leda Catunda, Ricardo Aleixo, and João Camarero. The event will also exhibit works by Lygia Pape, Hélio Oiticica, Augusto de Campos, Mestre Guarany, and Surubim Feliciano da Paixao – in addition to Bo Bardi’s own work, essays, and original furniture that are stored in Casa de Vidro. A limited-edition boxed set containing four volumes, each of which is based on one of The Square’s four different pathways, will be produced.
The event is organized in such a way that it revolves around four different themed paths that are connected to time, geometry and spirituality, Brazilian counterculture, and the roots of Bossa Nova. On the opening day, there will be an artist discussion at the end of each of the pathways, which will take guests on a unique walk through the house and garden. Lina Bo Bardi was one of the most influential and expressive figures in Brazilian modernism. He was born in Rome, but in 1946 he went to Brazil, where he has lived ever since. Her pioneering initiatives include the Museu de Arte de So Paulo and the SESC Pompéi recreational centre. She places a major emphasis on the social potential of design and architecture. She is a talented writer and thinker, and she was one of the co-founders of the important art journal Habitat. In addition, she designed jewellery, costumes, furniture, and sets. Find more on The Square and Lina Bo Bardi on our architecture and design page ARCHISCENE.
The guests and participants of THE SQUARE Sao Paulo edition by Bottega Veneta:
Discover more of the limited edition book set, the box set as well as a peak into the featured content:
More images from the lectures and the talks sessions at The Square in Lina Bo Bardi’s Sao Paulo home:
Step inside Casa de Vidro with images of the house before and during The Square event and exhibition:
