Érico left Brazil to study in Sweden, Andreia grew up in Amadora, but went to Holland to complete his studies in Design. Dona Cremilde has always lived in Palmeiros, in the parish of Salir. In recent days, they have been working together in the heart of Serra do Caldeirão, united by event «Links – crafts linked to the future», of the project «TASA – Ancestral Techniques, Current Solutions», which ends today in Loulé.
Andreia and Érico are two of the eight young designers participating in the artistic residency promoted by TASA, within the scope of «Ligações» and Dona Cremilde is one of the artisans who are helping them to put their projects to life. This initiative has lasted for about a week and its results can be seen today, Saturday, at the Center for Experimentation and Artistic Creation of Loulé (CECAL), in Parque Municipal, at 17:30.
The presentation of the results of the artistic residency launches the final party of «Ligações», which also includes the seminar «Perspectives for traditional arts», an official closing session, followed by a tasting of products made by chef Augusto lima. There will also be music, by the band «Garatuja».
This Thursday, the climate of anxiety experienced by young designers was clear, given the approaching deadline to have their work completed. In case of Érico and Andreia, who worked with Dona Cremilde in a house in Palmeiros, this expectation contrasted with the serenity and open smile of the artisan.
The same smile with which he opens the door of his house and welcomes visitors. His more than 70 years are not noticeable, taking into account the lightness of feet and mind. «When I was little, my grandmother told me: Who sleeps a lot, learns little. And I, under the illusion that I wanted to learn a lot, didn't sleep», he recalls.
Today, many years later, little has changed. “You'll stay awake until one in the morning and by seven o'clock you're on foot,” says Andreia, without hiding her admiration. "Dona Cremilde is also something of a designer, as she likes to think about new things and is bored with doing the same thing," she added, to which the target nods, a little embarrassed because of the compliment. "I've been doing a lot of things in my head," he said.
The artisan's small palm work shop, located in an annex to her house, has been the place where the young people have spent a good part of their day. It is also here that they have faced the challenges posed by the task at hand, since, they confess, the most complicated part is creating together.
«The part that is most difficult and interesting is the fact that we are two designers thinking about the product. We have been counting on the help of Dona Cremilde, so that the product can be executed, as we are used to thinking more towards the industry», confess the young people.
At the site of Palmeiros, the work in progress is a Bolsa do Caminhante, a product that will be made «exclusively of natural materials, even the button», which will be made of wood. This is, moreover, one of the premises of «Ligações», which aims to make products using raw materials and traditional techniques from the Algarve.
Crafts thinking about the future
At CECAL, there are more teams working hard. Here, other products are thought of, namely a removable computer bag for bicycles, mostly made of wood and cork, and a handcrafted container, in clay and cork, which allows taking the cardboard box of wine packaged in aluminum bags from the equation. .
The young designers, who make up two of the four teams that are developing products within the scope of the artistic residency, are working on the immaterial component, as they are still waiting for their products to finish being manufactured by different artisans.
Wanda, a Slovak designer who has lived in Lisbon for two years, does not hide her nervousness and confesses that she would have liked more time. “I would like the residency to be longer, as I am interested in learning about the techniques,” he said. That's what led her to sign up for this initiative, which she learned about through social media. «TASA, I already knew», he said.
Also Rita and Sandra, who despair of the problems that a computer program is giving them, say they wish they had had more time. Sandra, from the Algarve, is already used to this type of achievement, as she has already participated in an event with similar objectives, although with a very different methodology, the «Design&Ofícios». "Both work well," he considered.
Elsewhere in Serra do caldeirão, the fourth team, made up of a Portuguese designer and another from Kazakhstan, are developing an Espanta-Pombos. All products developed have the common denominator of being useful and current, with an eye to the future.
So, nothing better than serving as an “entrance” to the seminar “Perspectives for traditional arts”. This conversation will be attended by designers, artisans and entities related to training, including the director of the Sul Informação Elisabete Rodrigues, to discuss the future of crafts and crafts as a profession for the future.
The residency also ends today, but its fruits will continue. Not least because TASA, a project launched by the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission, has entered a new phase, in which the company ProActive Tur plays a key role. The idea is to make the commercial part more dynamic, to create an interesting economic dynamic around the products that were invented.
“Ligações” was promoted by the Municipality of Loulé and the organization is in charge of ProActive Tur. It has CCDR Algarve as a partner and organizer and has the support of the Casa da Cultura de Loulé and Cria (UALG).
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