Virgínia Building brings together creatives to discuss the world through design

Creatives who want to make a practical difference, using design as an active tool for a more circular future, will come together during the exhibition “ How much time do we have? ”, at the Virgínia Building , in the center of São Paulo, during the 12th São Paulo Design Week . The action, which takes place between March 11th and 26th, was conceived by the developer Somauma, dedicated to the retrofit of abandoned or underused buildings , and responsible for the revitalization of the Virgínia Building. The objective, according to Marcelo Falcão , architect and partner at the Somauma development company, is to encourage reflection on how it is possible to build a more just, democratic and sustainable future . “The idea is to make Virgínia a collective cry . We want to show that through design it is possible to create desirable and sustainable cities and solutions that serve different levels of society. We believe and are proving that there is indeed a way to collaborate and create better solutions for society, causing the least impact on the planet,” he explains.

3 floors of exhibition

In this edition, the exhibition will be divided into three floors . On the 9th floor, the exhibition “Me and you are many…” is curated by Claudio Magalhães , creator of BaFu - Barra Funda Autoral, and brings together artists such as Guto Lacaz, Noemi Saga, Vicenta Perrota, Naná Mendes da Rocha and Philipe Fonseca, who will exhibit their creations through the collaborative economy . On the 8th floor, the exhibition “How much time do we have?” takes place, bringing, on the one hand, a provocation about the need to face the consumer challenges of contemporary society, and on the other, entrepreneurs who are already contributing to reducing the impact within their areas of activity, such as Constance Galeria, Ruína Arquitetura and IED - Istituto Europeu de Design.

The event's schedule will also feature debates spread throughout the week on various topics such as: sustainable fashion, paths for housing in downtown São Paulo, retrofit , circular economy and biodesign. In addition to creatives, the lecture schedule will bring together academics, public administration agents, representatives of civil society entities and members of the private sector, with the aim of stimulating debate from different points of view and helping to design tangible and proactive solutions. Raul Juste Lores, Carmen Silva, José Armenio Brito Cruz, Washington Fajardo, Raquel Schenkman, Augustina Comas, Jackson Araújo and many others will be present. Registration to participate is free, but places are limited. For Falcão, the idea is to organize an event where people can come together not only to discuss beautiful projects, but to show that design can be a game changer for society. “ Design is everywhere , from the hostile city we have been creating in recent decades to a simple cup of coffee. Therefore, it can be used not only aesthetically, but as a fundamental tool for solving the main problems of our time ,” he comments.

Service

Date: March 11-26, 2023 Opening hours: 12pm to 9pm Location: Rua Martins Fontes, 197 - Republic Registration via the Somauma website