Lina Designer: O Mobiliário dos Tempos Pioneiros 1947 - 1958

As part of the celebrations of the centenary of the birth of Lina Bo Bardi, on December 5, 1914, the Instituto Bardi / Casa de Vidro received the exhibition, curated by Sérgio Campos, director of Artemobília Galeria, in honor of the architect, casting spotlights on the first phase of production of furniture signed by Lina, ranging from the creation of Sete de Abril, a folding and stackable chair designed in 1947 for the small auditorium of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo’s first headquarters, to the deckchair designed in 1958, for the Casa Valéria Cirell, also designed by Lina.

The set of furniture for this phase also includes the pieces designed for the Glass House and the Bardi’s Bowl armchair, both projects from 1951, in addition to the productions carried out at Studio de Arte Palma, one of the pioneering initiatives in the creation of modern Brazilian furniture, result of the association of the Bardi couple with Giancarlo Palanti, between 1948 and 1951.

The Studio’s pieces stand out for the pursuit of simplicity, with tubular metallic structures or cut out of wooden sheets and valorization of national materials, using in addition to wood, leather and cheetahs from Casas Pernambucanas, and immersing themselves in brazilian culture, drawing inspiration in the hammocks and in the caiçaras bowls, looking for other body postures.

The exhibition presented, in an unprecedented way, pieces from the archive of Instituto Bardi, Artemobilia Galeria and also collectors, who made their private collections available, as well as photographs, studies and original drawings produced by the architect.

The furniture on display, organized chronologically in the social area of ​​the Glass House, was integrated into the Bardi’s residence in its original format, involving objects from the collection, furniture and works of art.

© Fotos: Ruy Teixeira