Simultaneously with the openings of the solo exhibitions of Ana Maria Tavares and Marcelo Cidade, on October 23, 2008, Galeria Vermelho is pleased to announce the inauguration of the CÍCERA project, a space dedicated to artist residency programs and studios.
CÍCERA is located at 364 Mina Gerais Street. Adjacent to the Vermelho building, the house that hosts CÍCERA was acquired in 2007 by the family of the artist Chiara Banfi. To create the project, the Banfi family, in partnership with Vermelho directors Eliana Finkelstein and Eduardo Brandão, invited the Mexican artist based in Brazil, Héctor Zamora, due to his extensive experience with urban intervention projects, such as Paracaidista (2004), created for the Carrillo Gil Museum of Art (Mexico City, Mexico), or the intervention Praia Recanto das Crianças (2006), created in São Vicente (SP).
Zamora set up his workspace in Room 3 of Galeria Vermelho. Initially, the artist and his assistant Mauro Nagase took measurements of the house and created a 1:10 scale model, which served as a tool to develop the project. Over the course of a year, Zamora worked on the model and followed the construction closely, engaging intensely with the changes that gradually took shape. During this period, visitors to Vermelho’s exhibitions could not only observe the project’s progress and transformations but also share their opinions and discuss with the artist what was being done. Gradually sculpted, the model became a new artwork and will be on display in the exhibition at CÍCERA until December 20, 2008.
Comprising three studios and shared outdoor areas, CÍCERA features flexible spaces that can be modified according to the needs and desires of its future inhabitants, creating a transitional architectural environment open to transformations. With this in mind, the spaces and their boundaries were divided into levels connected by stairs and doors rather than walls.
One of the main concerns that guided the project was the use of natural energy. At CÍCERA, the goal was to maximize the use of available natural resources. Rainwater, for example, is collected, filtered, and reused; ventilation flows naturally through the glass ceilings and doors; water heating is provided by solar energy collectors; artificial lighting is not needed during the day, as all spaces have large windows and light openings that create bright, translucent environments. At night, artificial lights maximize illumination with minimal electrical energy consumption. To facilitate movement within the space, Zamora invited designer Francisco Jimenez to develop the kitchen modules for the three kitchens, and the gardens were designed in collaboration with artist Fernando Limberger.
For the inauguration of CÍCERA, a passageway was opened that connects to Room 3 of Vermelho. Until December 20, visitors will be able to explore the house, which will host various installations that reflect the same idea of flexibility that Zamora incorporated into the house’s spaces. Works by SUPERFLEX, João Loureiro, Daniel Senise, André Komatsu, and Carla Zaccagnini will be on display, along with a detailed presentation of the renovation process.
Simultaneously with the openings of the solo exhibitions of Ana Maria Tavares and Marcelo Cidade, on October 23, 2008, Galeria Vermelho is pleased to announce the inauguration of the CÍCERA project, a space dedicated to artist residency programs and studios.
CÍCERA is located at 364 Mina Gerais Street. Adjacent to the Vermelho building, the house that hosts CÍCERA was acquired in 2007 by the family of the artist Chiara Banfi. To create the project, the Banfi family, in partnership with Vermelho directors Eliana Finkelstein and Eduardo Brandão, invited the Mexican artist based in Brazil, Héctor Zamora, due to his extensive experience with urban intervention projects, such as Paracaidista (2004), created for the Carrillo Gil Museum of Art (Mexico City, Mexico), or the intervention Praia Recanto das Crianças (2006), created in São Vicente (SP).
Zamora set up his workspace in Room 3 of Galeria Vermelho. Initially, the artist and his assistant Mauro Nagase took measurements of the house and created a 1:10 scale model, which served as a tool to develop the project. Over the course of a year, Zamora worked on the model and followed the construction closely, engaging intensely with the changes that gradually took shape. During this period, visitors to Vermelho’s exhibitions could not only observe the project’s progress and transformations but also share their opinions and discuss with the artist what was being done. Gradually sculpted, the model became a new artwork and will be on display in the exhibition at CÍCERA until December 20, 2008.
Comprising three studios and shared outdoor areas, CÍCERA features flexible spaces that can be modified according to the needs and desires of its future inhabitants, creating a transitional architectural environment open to transformations. With this in mind, the spaces and their boundaries were divided into levels connected by stairs and doors rather than walls.
One of the main concerns that guided the project was the use of natural energy. At CÍCERA, the goal was to maximize the use of available natural resources. Rainwater, for example, is collected, filtered, and reused; ventilation flows naturally through the glass ceilings and doors; water heating is provided by solar energy collectors; artificial lighting is not needed during the day, as all spaces have large windows and light openings that create bright, translucent environments. At night, artificial lights maximize illumination with minimal electrical energy consumption. To facilitate movement within the space, Zamora invited designer Francisco Jimenez to develop the kitchen modules for the three kitchens, and the gardens were designed in collaboration with artist Fernando Limberger.
For the inauguration of CÍCERA, a passageway was opened that connects to Room 3 of Vermelho. Until December 20, visitors will be able to explore the house, which will host various installations that reflect the same idea of flexibility that Zamora incorporated into the house’s spaces. Works by SUPERFLEX, João Loureiro, Daniel Senise, André Komatsu, and Carla Zaccagnini will be on display, along with a detailed presentation of the renovation process.