estudio guto requena: musical tour of são paulo

‘roteiro musical de são paulo’ exhibition by estudio guto requena + atelier marko brajovic, são paulo, brazil
all images by fran parente, courtesy of estudio guto requena

‘musical tour of the city of são paulo’ (‘roteiro musical da cidade de são paulo’) is an exhibition that introduces one hundred years of the
brazilian metropolis’ history from the point of view of songs which were specifically written for the city. the 3230 square foot space is a
collaboration between brazil-based firms estudio guto requena and atelier marko brajovic, whom envisioned the scenography and
art direction as a melodic ride evoking the symbols of the city, its skyline,  and urban furniture. the collection is the result of 22 years of
research by curator assis ângelo, which is composed of documents such as audio files, rare LP records, musical scores, pictures, drawings,
newspaper articles, interviews, testimonies, lyrics and songs.

entry to exhibition

the narrative journey begins with a 56 foot long musical tunnel. a large neon sign and multiple neon arrows, reminiscent of rua augusta,
a traditional bohemian district of são paulo, invites visitors to enter the space and immerse themselves into the exhibition area.
produced of gramophones, radios, LP players, CD players and over 2600 historic album covers are displayed from floor to ceiling creating
a ‘pixel-LP record explosion’, guiding visitors through a historic passage of time.

pixel effect with album covers

musical tunnel

gramophones and stereos displayed in the space

cabaret lounge

an elevated stage was designed to serve as debate arena resembling performance cabarets. the walls display laser-cut rococo-style frames which support
historic photos and headlines. flanking both sides of the stage are large cabinets influenced by old cupboards house part of the collection of objects,
such as old radios and newspaper articles. plasma TV’s and vintage radios feature historic footage and records of old radio programs.
the dimmed lighting combined with the interior decor suggest an intimate ambiance inviting people to sit, watch and interact with the content of the exhibition.

eleven domes organize chronologically the content which contain a celebrated musical summary of each decade from the 1910’s to the 2010’s.
the pieces are interactive, moving either upwards or downwards, allowing visitors the ability to experience specific set lists, texts and pictures.
the objects can also be pulled up to transform the space into a small auditorium fitting up to sixty people for lectures and talks.

decade domes

project info:

organization: sesc – serviço social do comércio (são paulo state regional administration)
chairman of the regional council: abram szajman
regional manager: danilo santos de miranda
technical – social superintendent: joel naimayer padula
visual communication superintendent: ivan giannini
cultural operation: rosana paulo dacunha /deputy: flávia carvalho/assistants: henrique rubin, juliana braga, kelly adriano, nilva luz e sergio pinto
project and development: marta colabone /deputy: andréa nogueira
graphic art: hélcio magalhães/deputy: karina musumeci
sesc santana: lilia marcia barra /deputy: simoneengbruch avancini silva
exhibition coordination: suzana garcia, fernando marineli and vera marisa de souza rodrigues
sesc santana coordinators: rovena verona c. pigari(communication), marcus vinicius rocha (administration), silvan oliveira da silva (infrastructure) and célia tucunduva (catering)
conception + curatorship: assis ângelo and andrea lago (memória brasil institute)
scenography + art direction: estudio guto requena and atelier marko brajovic
architects/collaborators: vinicius capella, alberto gomez, henrique stabile and paulo de camargo
installation coordinator: carmela rocha
visual identity + graphic project: estudia design
educational graphic project: tg3comunicação
audio + image edition: darlan ferreira
text + research: assis ângelo
specialized installation consultant: clara perino
photography: andré labate rosso
image: memória brasil institute – assis ângelo collection
contemporary musical research: débora pill
juridical advisory: jorge melo
installation: fábrica de milagres
sound installation: maxiaudio