From November 1st to 4th, the first edition of the
Campos do Jordão Design Festival revealed the city's new calling: design. The region,
whose main economic activity is tourism and
is recognized as one of the main winter destinations in Brazil, is now revealing its new direction. Created by businesswoman
Carmem Alvim , the event seeks to be a
platform for professionals, enthusiasts, students and those interested in the area to explore art, crafts, architecture, biophilia, gastronomy and design produced in Serra da Mantiqueira . Through lectures, workshops, exhibitions, visits to parks and their facilities, the city was taken over by ideas related to design in its most diverse forms. "This edition was a great laboratory, I like to call it 00 but I can assure you that the festival made clear the potential that the city has to offer when it comes to design and the paths we can follow in future events," says Alvim. “This is an extremely important festival and is part of the city’s official calendar. In 2024, the first edition of the festival will take place simultaneously with the celebration of Campos do Jordão’s 150th anniversary, when we will have a historic edition of the event that I already consider a heritage of our city”, revealed André Barbedo, Secretary of Tourism of Campos do Jordão , during the opening ceremony. During these four days, visitors had the chance to get involved in the program that included activities in three neighborhoods of the city: Alto da Boa Vista, Alto do Lajeado and Capivari.
In addition to the haute cuisine and the vast hotel sector, the public was mainly attracted by the abundant nature – as shown by the highlights selected by the
CASACOR team that attended the event.
1- Amantikir Park Designed by landscaper and agricultural engineer Walter Vasconcellos, known as Dr. Garden, the park is a lesson in biophilia.
There are more than 700 species of plants throughout its 60,000 m². The name comes from the native Tupi language, "amantikir", loosely translated as "the mountain that cries", and became Mantiqueira in the Portuguese pronunciation. In addition to the lecture, the tour was guided by its founder, Walter Vasconcellos, and offered a moment of reflection and learning in contact with nature. 2- Bambuí Park and Toriba Hotel Nature and fine dining in harmony. Opened by the Toriba Group, which celebrated its 80th anniversary in January, Parque Bambuí is the new leisure complex in the city of Serra da Mantiqueira. It has 300,000 m² of nature with three lakes, a steam train ride and the Casa Bambuí restaurant, created in partnership with chef Anouk Migotto . The idea there is to offer a gastronomic experience that values local products. The garden and park projects were designed by renowned landscaper Rosa Kliass, who offers visitors a variety of species and shades of green. Next to the park, the Hotel Toriba is on the itinerary because it was completely restored and adapted by businessman
Aref Farkouh . In addition to the lush gardens, the public can admire the
murals by Fulvio Penacchi, originally from the 1940s. A look at the historical heritage with a guided tour of houses from the 1930s, on the edge of the Campos do Jordão Railway, and the exhibition by
designer Eduardo Miguel , who redefines looks and materials – wood, iron, metals and glass, or even seeds. The curator is interior designer
Valeria Parizotto. 4- Creative Infinity Exhibition at Ort Hotel The name of the project, Infinito Criativo, comes from the infinity symbol. One of its goals is the inclusion of young talents on the autistic spectrum in the job market under the mentorship of
artist and designer Rapha Preto. Four artists participated in the exhibition: Dudu Memoriza, Nicolas Brito Sales, Henrique Ferreira and Lucas Ksenhuk.
Check out some of the works on display. Dudu is an artist who defies adversity with determination . Albino and with only 10% of his vision preserved, Dudu is also on the autism spectrum. His
hyperfocus on architecture translates into detailed drawings of great talent. He has gained prominence with two solo exhibitions, including the recent one at the
São Paulo subway station in 2023. He has become an inspiration to the autistic community, frequently invited for interviews. As a member of Cog Life Arts, his work has been printed on several T-shirts, in addition to having been
awarded at the Eyecontact American Arts Festival , reaching second place in recognition of his remarkable skill. He will participate in Art Basel Miami.
Nicolas Brito Sales is a photographer, writer, speaker, visual artist and much more, a huge talent in the autistic community. In 2017, he won the
People's Choice Award for best photographer in the USA. Nicolas sees photography as a form of profound expression that allows him to communicate with the world beyond words.
Henrique Ferreira is a talented artist who is on the autism spectrum . He is a multifaceted professional who plays crucial roles at Rapha Preto Studio . In addition to being a talented video maker and skilled video editor, he is also responsible for managing the studio’s social media. His creativity is not limited to this sphere, as he is also a talented artist who has created two stunning works in the form of rugs and a wall sculpture with the mentorship of Rapha Preto himself. In addition, Henrique also explores the world of digital art , expanding his creative reach to new horizons.
The event is supported by the
Department of Culture and Tourism of Campos do Jordão , COMTUR –
Campos do Jordão Tourism Council , ACE –
Campos do Jordão Commercial Association and ABD –
Brazilian Association of Interior Designers. 
