SERIES: HANDS OF RESTORATION

This series introduces artisans responsible for the restoration of modern pieces of furniture that were mainly produced in Brazil between 1947 and 1969. This was a period of social, cultural and economic effervescence in Brazil. Therefore, the objects are part of a cultural change that can be felt in music, design and the visual arts.

Besides documenting the many phases of the restoration, the purpose of this series of videos and photos is also to address – in a subjective way – nuances of the process and bring about reflections on what a restoration such as the ones in here is intended for. Therefore, here the furniture is not restricted to its function, it is seen as part of the aesthetic and affective imaginaries that are built daily in domestic life and constitute memories.

Restoration is a detailed and technical process, but one that deals with affection, history and memory. Our perception of restoration has to do with how we perceive a vintage piece of furniture from the 20th century; it brings together comfort, usability, and is filled with stories; about family reunions, technological advances, aesthetic vanguards or even the creation of an entire city, like Niemeyer’s Brasilia or Le Courbusier’s Chandigarh.