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For Casa Brasil, handicrafts and design are aligned

  Fair showcases typical Italian techniques and prepares the launch of an exclusive collection of decorative objects for the enogastronomy   Through the hands of thirty artisans from the interior of Bento Gonçalves and under the keen eye of architects Tina and Lui and designer Renato Imbroisi from Rio de Janeiro, what used to be a lost cultural legacy gains new meaning. The project to portray and recover typically Italian crafts is an initiative of the Furniture Industry Association of Bento Gonçalves (Sindmóveis) in partnership with the Municipal Tourism Department and will result in a collection of decorative objects related to the enogastronomy theme to be launched during the next edition of Casa Brasil, August 13-16.   With new uses and designs applied to references of local affective memory, the project encourages a new approach to techniques such as embroidery, crochet, macramé, painting, biscuit and basket weaving, contemporizing and adding value to craftsmanship. The mobilization of rural communities and artisans in town for an integrated work is the first success resulting from the project. “The fact that these women have embraced the project and dedicated so much of their time to it is an important achievement, since in general the local craft was developed individually or in small groups,” says Maria Cristina Moura, Tina.   An important part of this process is also the new commercial presentation for the products, highlighting the history of the manufacturers. For the designer and craftsman Renato Imbroisi, people’s house reflects an increasing search for exclusive objects that are closer to you and express design combined with a cultural identity. Architect Ana Luisa Lo Pumo, Lui, says: “It is a new presentation that will make people understand the emotional connection found in the product, either individual or collective.”   The last collective workshops of the project were held on Friday, March 15, in a community in the interior of Bento Gonçalves. They are combination of cooking classes given by renowned chefs from the surrounding area and exercises in groups to improve the techniques. The collection that will be launched at Casa Brasil 2013 will consist of approximately 80 pieces, all for sale at the show. For more information, visit: www.casabrasil.com.br.