naif collection by thinkDO studio at MADE mercado-arte-design in são paulo

thinkDO studio reappropirates discarded furniture from são paulo for naif collection
all images courtesy of thinkDO studio

using various parts from discarded objects found on the streets são paulo, local practice thinkDO studio has assembled the ‘naif collection’ of furniture. presented as part of MADE — mercado·arte·design in são paulo, the series comprises a bench, two chairs and an amplifier, each which reject the formal notions of design and instead highlight the common cultural tradition in brazilian neighborhoods to build new products and utilitarian items out of used materials.

strolling through the urban center, the designers found several examples of that they perceived to be ‘naive’ furniture: seats, legs, backrest and pipes put together to give life to objects without typical standards of function or beauty. being born out of the sheer necessity — without a design project nor expectations — these pieces are perfect in their imperfection, timeless and exemplify the essence of randomness.  

this functional amplifier has been created from discarded soda bottles

to emphasize the aesthetic result, thinkDO studio have applied a natural mass medium, which solidifies through contact with air. every part of the product comes from a different piece of furniture, indicated through the use of color. without uniformity throughout the material range, the hardened mass reinforces the concept of imperfection. ‘we are fascinated by the spontaneity, creativity, imperfection and expressive power of popular naivety’, the studio relays. ‘in some brazilian neighborhoods there’s a common practice of building objects out of old, broken pieces. they are not meant to be beautiful, they exist to fulfill a need but we find them beautiful in their aesthetic randomness. like in the naïf painting, these objects are made without a method, without a project, without any functional and aesthetics standards.’

varying colors indicate the diverse range of materials used

the music player stand is simply embedded into the overall design

the amplifier, as seen from the back, shows how the concave shape of the bottles is able to amplify sound

brazilian designer leo de brito in the exhibition of thinkDo team at MADE in sao paulo

image by designboom

about MADE — mercado·arte·design:

waldick jatobá is collector and co-founder of the design fair MADE — mercado·arte·design in são paulo. organized by w/design, with general production manager katia avillez, in partnership with casa cor and sponsored by bradesco private bank, the second edition of MADE has take place from november 5th to 9th, 2014 at the são paulo jockey club. in and architectually imposing building such as the jockey club, the design and art fair identifies concept-driven brazilian and international practices, serving as a dynamic platform to showcase the interplay of two fileds as seen in the fair’s installations and programs, and the context in which these practices may exist and thrive. the fair aims to cover everything from contemporary to vintage design. ‘of course, it is my obligation as the co-founder to democratize the information through seminars, round tables, conferences, and exhibitions’, describes jatobá of the program. ‘there is a huge education program behind the whole project with dialogues that intersect the fields of architecture, and urban design.‘

about thinkDO studio:

thinkDO studio is a multi-disciplinary  trip working across the area of product design, strategy, production and photography. the team believes in a holistic approach to design, where they work together with clients on developing strategies, implementing management processes, creating new products, carrying on production and delivering a high-quality photographic result. the team is made up by leo de brito, weronika and alessandro rochacka-gagliardi.

1/12