Laufen Impressões – from Basel to Brazil
ABOUT
Laufen and Brasilea Foundation present: „Impressões – from Basel to Brazil“, an art project that combines design innovation with the production of SaphirKeramik.
Laufen lives the dialogue between architecture, art and design, constantly exploring how things change in the creative world and how the creative world changes things.
Brasilea Foundation promotes cutural and artistic exchange between Switzerland and Brazil. They offer a platform for Brazilian artists and projects in Basel/Switzerland.
Created to honour Brazil and its culture, this year‘s works haven been curated by Brasilea and developed in collaboration with the artists Maria-Carmen Perlingeiro, Alex Flemming, Zezão, Christina Oiticica, SHN (Marcelo Fazolin, Haroldo Paranhos, Eduardo Saretta
THE POLYHEDRON
For the 3rd edition of “Impressões”, the sculptor Maria-Carmen Perlingeiro exclusively designed a polyhedron, which Laufen produced in SaphirKeramik. The material allows for freedom to design minimalistic, architectural lines and for the production of extremely narrow radii and filigree walls with high robustness. Laufen sees design as the key to shape this material as intelligently, functional, environmentally friendly, resource-saving and aesthetically pleasing as possible.
SaphirKeramik proved itself as the ideal material for the artistic development of the handmade polyhedron, which serves as a 3-dimensional canvas for the work of the 5 artists.
The artists
Maria-Carmen Perlingeiro
Working with the material Saphirkeramik was something completely new for the experienced sculptor. Until 1975, Perlingeiro studied at the École Supérieure d’Art Visuel in Geneva, where she lives. Her works have since attracted attention, especially in Brazil, the USA and Switzerland.
Zezão
The prominent graffiti artist Zezão ascended with his art from the urban underworlds of São Paulo into the white walls of art galleries. Usually working in environments of unadorned monotony, on the rough, gray undergrounds of the city, his work adds stimulating colors, structures and forms, always in his distinctive tone of blue.
Christina Oiticica
Christina Oiticica’s neoconcrete techniques allow nature to directly influence and shape her objects. The result of her work is unpredictable. Oiticica’s works are exhibited mainly in Europe and Brazil. In 2017, she presented a comprehensive solo exhibition at Brasiliea.
Collective SHN
The group around Eduardo Saretta, Haroldo Paranhos and Marcelo Fazolin design their multidisciplinary work in the interplay of visual art, graphic representation, architecture and video installations.
Alex Flemming
In its versatility, Flemming presents the human figure in almost every series.
In his art he moves between photography, painting, engraving and installation. Flemming studied at the prestigious FAAP (Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado) in his hometown São Paulo.
Impressões 2018:19 – from Basel to Brasil
Brasilea Foundation
Impressões 2018:19 – from Basel to Brasil (.pdf)
www.brasilea.com
www.laufen.com
Brasilea Foundation – “Brazil in Basel”
Who they are and what they do
Since 2003, Brasilea has been home to more than 65 exhibitions, 100 cultural events and 400 other events. They are the winner of the award “Prêmio Itamaraty de Diplomacia Cultural”, the highest cultural award in Brazil.
The idea behind it
Brasilea is a place for cultural and artistic exchange between Switzerland and Brazil. It is a touch of Brazilian joie de vivre in the Basel Rhine harbor.
2 Collections, 1 Location
The centerpiece is Walter Wüthrich’s collection, which bears his name and acts as a link between Brazil and Basel. The APE collection (arte perpetual establishment) deliberately looks to the present and into the future:
Contemporary art, primarily from Brazil, has played a major role in their exhibition activities since the beginning.
How they do it?
With passion and commitment.
Artists in residence programs, research trips to Brazil, networking with art institutions in Brazil and Switzerland, and as a platform for Brazilian artists and projects in Basel.
And the financing?
Private sponsorship without state subsidies. Therefore, they are always happy to host corporate events, private events, rentals of their space, sponsorships and donations from the Friends of Brasilea.
About Laufen
The Laufen Bathrooms AG is a Swiss company specialising in high-end complete bathroom solutions. Laufen’s head offices are located just outside Basel. Established in 1892, it operates internationally manufacturing bathroom ceramics and faucets and distributes furniture, accessories for the bathroom and bathtubs. Laufen employs a workforce of 2,500 with eight factories located in Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland and produces 3 million ceramic items per year. It boasts collaborations with important partners like the design companies Kartell and Alessi and internationally well-known designers such as Marcel Wanders, Patricia Urquiola, Konstantin Grcic (Val), ps+a/Ludovica and Roberto Palomba (Palomba Collection, Kartell by Laufen), Stefano Giovannoni (ILBAGNOALESSI One), Wiel Arets (ILBAGNOALESSI dOt), Toan Nguyen (Ino), Platinum Design, Phoenix Design and Vetica Design.
