Photography: Courtesy Made In Situ
30 / 07 / 2021
Following the Barro Negro collection, a disconcerting symbiosis combining the talent of Portuguese artisanship with a poignant aesthetic, now Burnt Cork pays tribute to Portuguese cork, offering “an ode to the resilience of the material, the people and the production process.”
Through constant reflection and research, the author of the Made in Situ project now presents seven pieces of furniture at his gallery in Lisbon, offering a glimpse of the passionate pace with which he explores Portuguese soil, blending his love of art with irreproachable good taste.
This new collection takes us back to 2017, when you witnessed the forest fires while driving from France to Portugal. In what way did this experience spur the creation of Burnt Cork?
It was a shock to drive through the burning hills. The inferno devoured the landscape while leaving behind a world of entropy and that’s when the power of fire struck me. Its capacity for transforming environments – subtle when controlled, aggressive when left unchecked – but, somehow, always beautiful. It was a watershed moment that brought me closer to Portuguese landscapes and an insight into what I wanted to do here. In October 2018, I set out to explore and met artisans from the Alentejo and the Algarve. In Faro, we came across a small family-run cork manufacturing plant, NF Cork, and the Portuguese couple Tânia and Nuno. During our visit to the factory, as I watched the process transforming cork bark into blocks, I noticed a large heap of discarded burnt cork. It immediately resonated within me and that is how the idea of drawing based on the fires and creating a unique material from burnt cork scraps came to me.
This new collection takes us back to 2017, when you witnessed the forest fires while driving from France to Portugal. In what way did this experience spur the creation of Burnt Cork?
It was a shock to drive through the burning hills. The inferno devoured the landscape while leaving behind a world of entropy and that’s when the power of fire struck me. Its capacity for transforming environments – subtle when controlled, aggressive when left unchecked – but, somehow, always beautiful. It was a watershed moment that brought me closer to Portuguese landscapes and an insight into what I wanted to do here. In October 2018, I set out to explore and met artisans from the Alentejo and the Algarve. In Faro, we came across a small family-run cork manufacturing plant, NF Cork, and the Portuguese couple Tânia and Nuno. During our visit to the factory, as I watched the process transforming cork bark into blocks, I noticed a large heap of discarded burnt cork. It immediately resonated within me and that is how the idea of drawing based on the fires and creating a unique material from burnt cork scraps came to me.
The imperfections of this material ended up leading to seven unique pieces of furniture. Was it a challenge to design them with a deep respect and understanding of Portuguese culture and craftsmanship?
During this journey, we were lucky enough to mingle with several people and learn a lot. Cork is definitely a super-material. We all know that Portuguese history is profoundly connected to cork, not only through know-how but also economically, being the first cork producer in the world. I approached the collection as if it were an anomaly, emerging from the flames and transforming itself into something new and beautiful. The creative process began by experimenting with and adapting agglomerated cork techniques.
During this journey, we were lucky enough to mingle with several people and learn a lot. Cork is definitely a super-material. We all know that Portuguese history is profoundly connected to cork, not only through know-how but also economically, being the first cork producer in the world. I approached the collection as if it were an anomaly, emerging from the flames and transforming itself into something new and beautiful. The creative process began by experimenting with and adapting agglomerated cork techniques.
For more information, visit Made in Situ website.
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