ESPASSO honors contemporary brazilian design at art basel miami beach

ESPASSO honors contemporary brazilian design at art basel miami beach

ESPASSO gallery — focusing on celebrating modern and contemporary brazilian art, furniture and design objects — brings forth never-before-seen pieces by such luminaries as oscar neimeyer, sergio rodrigues and jorge zalszupin, together with new works making their premier in the US by etel carmona, fernando mendes, carlos motta, claudia moreira salles zanini de zanine; in the all encompassing ‘em trânsito‘ exhibition. presented at the shore club in miami, one of south beach’s most legendary hotels, the venue is being redesigned by brazilian architect isay weinfeld who is set to transform the 3-acre beachfront property into a hotel and condominium complex for HFZ capital group. see more about the venture on designboom here.

general view of ’em transito’ exhibition at the shore club

opening during art basel miami beach 2014, ESPASSO takes the occasion to reveal for the first time, the last piece designed by sergio rodrigues before his recent passing; an armchair and stool by his grandson benjamin; a desk by oscar niemeyer which has never been produced — a work surface that expresses the late architects classic design sensibility — as well as the first ever re-edition of jorge zalszupin’s ‘annette’ armchair and ottoman originally design in the 1960s. the latter two pieces part of the ETEL collection and making their public debut on this occasion.

the expansive, blank interior offers an ideal site for showcasing the contemporary brazilian design pieces

other highlights of the exhibition include: isay weinfeld’s ‘farmacinha’ – a medicine cabinet made from stainless steel, oxidized brass and a combination of brazilian native woods; zanini de zanine’s ‘jacaranda’ – a one-of-a-kind bench made of rare brazilian rosewood; carlos motta’s ‘pinda chair’ – a handmade, ergonomically designed piece that projects tactual sensuality with spikes along its back that contrast the smooth wood front of the seat itself; claudia moreira salles’ ‘concreto bench’ – a seating object made from oak and concrete that draws its formal influences from minimalist sculpture; etel carmona’s ‘suchus’ – a stool made from alligator skin and wood which recalls the elegance and forms of 1930’s design; and the fernando mendes- and julia krantz-designed ‘grude’ – an armchair which marries artisanal and contemporary carpentry techniques, transforming compressed wood into a unique furniture item.

upper floor gallery

‘I’m very excited and proud to be presenting a group of designers who truly represent the best of contemporary brazilian design. this exhibit marks the first time we will be showcasing contemporary furniture in miami and we are honored that these designers are collaborating with us to create a major moment for ESPASSO. also with isay weinfeld designing the shore club, we could not think of a better location to premiere the exhibit,’ said carlos junqueira, ESPASSO’s owner and curator.

on view until january 4th, 2015, the pieces showcased in ‘em trânsito‘ are available for purchase through ESPASSO, who is the official US retailer of the works.

sergio rodrigues ‘benjamin’ armchair, ‘mocho’ stool, ‘moleca’ armchair on show

general gallery view

claudia moreira salles ‘concreto’ bench with isay weinfeld’s ‘farmacinha’ medicine cabinet

claudia moreira salles
concreto bench, 2014
american walnut, concrete
limited edition of 8 + 2 ap + prototype

the limited edition ‘concreto bench’ follows one vein of salles’ work, that gracefully balances design and art. inspired by minimalist sculpture and the purity of materials, the concreto mixes concrete and walnut.

oscar niemeyer
on desk, 1990’s
american walnut
W75″ x D23.5″ x H33″

designed in the 1990’s by legendary brazilian architect oscar niemeyer, the elegant curves of ‘on desk’ evoke niemeyer’s iconic architecture. the work surface is part of the etel collection.

zanini de zanine
vazada chair, 2011
ipe wood
W24″ x D27″ x H28″
limited edition of 2

the limited edition ‘vazada’ chair is a robust, yet sophisticated piece made from solid reclaimed wood, hand crafted into elegant, innovative, and comfortable angles and lines.

carlos motta
pindá chair, 2014
perobinha do campo wood
W23″ x D32″ x H30″
limited edition of 10

designed in 2014, the ‘pindá’ chair is made from reclaimed perobinha do campo wood, artisanally fabricated in an ergonomic design. the ‘pindá’ chair (translating to spike in native brazilian tupi), plays with the tactual sensuality and warmth of the wood, contrasting its ultra smooth front, with its spiked back.

fernando mendes and julia krantz
grude armchair, 2011
cedro naval wood and natural leather
W41″ x D36″ x H39″

a recent design by fernando mendes, ‘grude’ combines artisanal and contemporary carpentry techniques, in an ultra-comfortable, statement armchair. translating to ‘glued together’, mendes designed ‘grude’ as a snug loveseat, as its name also refers to the numerous strips of laminated wood that comprise the design of the chair.

jorge zalszupin
anette armchair and ottoman, 1960’s
metal, leather, fabric and imbuia wood
W30″ x D30″ x H27″ (armchair); W25″ x D22.5″ x H15″ (ottoman)

created in the 1960’s, by jorge zalszupin, the ‘anette’ armchair and ottoman are each comprised of a metal frame, leather strap base, and solid wood-carved arms; exemplary of brazilian mid-century design. this is the first re-edition of the ‘anette’ line since its original issue. ‘anette’ it is part of the etel collection.

etel carmona
suchus stool, 2014
american walnut, ecologically harvested alligator skin
W17.75″ x D15″ x H16″
limited edition of 10

reminiscent of the style and elegance of 1930’s design, etel carmona’s ‘suchus’ stool, is made from american walnut wood and alligator skin — sustainably harvested from a cooperative in the amazon, in the most conscientious and artisanal form. named after the scientific name of the alligator species melanosuchus niger, ‘suchus’ is part of the etel collection.

isay weinfeld
farmacinha cabinet, 2012
native brazilian woods, stainless steel, oxidized brass and perfurated metal
dimensions variable

isay weinfeld’s ‘farmacinha’ medicine cabinet is a composition of irregularly stacked compartments — ideal for exhibiting, rather than concealing, its contents. stainless steel, oxidized brass, and a mélange of brazilian native woods, comprise this revision of a traditional medicine cabinet. the piece allows the addition of extra modules according to the user’s needs, tastes… or even the degree of hypochondria.