Photography by Edu Ortega, courtesy of Bottega Veneta. In the new chapter of Bottega Veneta’s cultural exchange series, The Square (first introduced in Dubai in 2022), the brand will celebrates Brazilian culture with a distinctive artistic program hosted at Lina Bo Bardi’s Casa de Vidro (Glass House) in São Paulo.
Under the guidance of creative direction of Matthieu Blazy, the series unites a broad spectrum of special guests, artists and the public in experiential, site-specific events designed to spark dialogue and curiosity, whilst championing Bottega Veneta’s commitment to self-expression, creativity and craft.
“Casa de Vidro is one of my favorite places”, says Matthieu Blazy. “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.”
Open to the public for eleven days from May 24, 2023, the Square São Paulo marks the 10th anniversary of the brand’s presence in Brazil. Curated alongside Mari Stockler, the event is hosted at Casa de Vidro, a landmark of Brazilian modernism, and facilitates a selection of artists and artworks from across Brazil to honour the legacy of Italian-born Bo Bardi, her interaction with Brazilian culture, and celebrate Brazilian creativity in all its forms. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves within the event’s four themed pathways (relating to time, geometry and spirituality, Brazilian counterculture, and the roots of Bossa Nova), taking guests on divergent routes through the house and garden, and culminates with an artist talk.
“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,” says curator Mari Stockler. “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.”
Participating artists include Arnaldo Antunes, Rosana Paulino and João Camarero, and will feature works from the likes of Lygia Pape, Hélio Oiticica and Surubim Feliciano da Paixão – as well as Bo Bardi’s own work, writings, and
original furnishings housed in Casa de Vidro.
Explore the Square São Paulo from May 24 until June 3.
