Objects of the Forest En4

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A project by

Andrea Bandoni

Edited by Andrea Bandoni &

Florian Jakober, foreword by Vanessa Grossman

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OBJETOS

DAFLORESTA

Objectsof the

Forest


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Andrea Bandoni

Objetos daFloresta

explorando a amaznia atravs

do olhar de designers

/Objects of the

Forestexploring the amazon through

designers eyes

1st Edition

So Paulo,Andrea Bandoni de Oliveira

2012


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Imagine a place where you can just take,use and reuse whatever you need in asustainable and ecologically responsiblemanner. A place where you have the abilityto pick objects from a tree, or to takeobjects out of an animal. Create toolsthat remove poison from a plant, enablingthe once dangerous and lethal plant

to become a nutritious and lifesavingfood source. A place where the mostpopular furniture is created from thevery trees it hangs on. This environmentis so sophisticated that even the mostfunctional of organisms can also be usedas decoration.

Objects of the Forest presents a

selection of objects found in the Amazonwhich tell compelling stories about thecoexistence of man and nature from adesign perspective.


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The Designer in the Splendor of Nature

Vanessa Grossman

Lost paradise, reservoir for the future of civilization,worlds lung, land of the few, no mans land, underworld,stage of carnage, barbarism, green hell. The myriad ofrepresentations that the Amazon evokes in the globalcollective imagination corresponds perhaps to itsincommensurability as a forest. However, in the nationalfiction and reality, the Amazons presence at the forefrontof culture is an extremely recent phenomenon. Many still

see it as a sort of Brazilian Wild West, in which the variousvoices that have tried to denounce the numerous crimesand destruction were silenced. The rest of the countryhas socially and culturally neglected the Amazon over thepast century, since, for colonial reasons, the countryscentrality was entrenched in the Southeast. This is where,in Brazil, the Amazons fate is hitherto discussed.

Nevertheless, if the 19th century saw the heyday ofnaturalist expeditions to the region, which can be provedby the creation and collection of the Paraense1EmilioGoeldi Museum, the resonances of the Amazon, even ifepisodic, have indeed punctuated every one of the mostimportant Brazilian cultural moments of the followingcentury. Without going into the artistic production of the

colonial years, it was not by coincidence that the Amazonwas tied to the construction of the countrys nationalidentity since the dawn of modernism in Brazil. The lattersuniueness lied precisely in the fact that it implied in aJanus-faced effort of building a past and a future forart, and for the country itself.

In these travel notes [...] Sometimes I stop andhesitate to tell certain things, I fear people will notbelieve. As an apprentice tourist Mrio de Andrade


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grandparents and mother of Costa, who is considered tobe the father of Brazilian modern architecture. Anotherfamous modernist, Roberto Burle Marx, has showed thatbeauty lies in the exuberance of natures untamed florathat he discovered, amongst others, in the Amazon, andwhich he introduced into the international vocabularyof landscape architecture. The Amazon also served asmaterial resource and source of inspiration for the workof renowned designers who favored raw material, such asSrgio Rodriguess Oca, his trademark. Oca was namedafter the Tup-Guaran term for home, in the languagespoken by one principal indigenous people of Brazil.

Some foreign artists who have settled in the country,like the French anthropologist Claude Lvi-Strauss, amongstothers, have expressed their social critique by amplifyingless interpreted popular voices. After her experience inthe Northeast of Brazil (1958-64), the Italian architectand designer Lina Bo Bardi wrote a little book entitledThe Impasse of Design: Experience in the Northeast ofBrazil [Tempos de grossura: o design no impasse (1980)],whose considerations can certainly be extended to the

Amazon. They point to the appreciation of the creativedesign solutions conceived by socially excluded people,an appreciation that is stripped of any vestiges of whatBo Bardi designated as patronizing mythology, whichwas certainly one of the aspects of Brazilian modernism.

Since the 1970s, when the environmental movement was stillembryonic, the Polish artist Frans Krajcberg has, in turn,denounced the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest bytransforming charred trunks and branches into sculptures.These operations have granted him the title of poet ofvestiges. His objects made from still lifes tell the storyof a death of no return. No Brazilian remembers that humanbeings are living in the forest, and that they are burnedalong with the trees.

was willing to hear the multiple voices of the Amazonby indigenous peoples, rubber tappers, riverinein his1927 expedition. A year later, he wrote Macunama,the founding text of Brazils modernism, which emulatesthe alchemy of Brazilian culture, heroic and with nocharacter. In its pages, the Amazonian rivers have turnedinto liuid streets, whose usual transportation is themanatee, and the Amazon river dolphin for women. To dealwith the exuberance he witnessed, the author resortedto the fantastic, and projected the city into the

forest, and vice versa.

In the same way as the architecture of this unusualterritory and lifestyle of indigenous peoples inspiredMrio de Andrade, they also penetrated the imaginationof some of the best-known Brazilian architects, urbanplanners, landscape architects and designers. Actuallythe first architectural landmark of modernism waserected when the then-Minister Gustavo Capanemarefused to build a neocolonial project in nothing less thanMarajoara style designed by the Cearense2architectArchimedes Memria, the laureate of the national contestfor the Palace of Ministry of National Education and PublicHealth. Instead, Capanema cancelled the competition andinvited Costa to develop the project, with the advice ofthe Swiss architect Le Corbusier.

In contrast with the ideals behind the mimeticneocolonial architecture that was exhibited at the 1922Modern Art Week [Semana de 22] the idea that modernarchitects and designers should act as interpretershas prevailed in Brazil. ... in a sort of return to theorigins, I made a draft that in Barreirinha, in the heartof the Amazon, the native poet constructs with zealand love. By interpreting the local savoir faire Costadesigned a residence for his friend, the poet Thiagode Mello in the Amazon. The latter was the land of the


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Still in the field of the post-Tropicalista3cultureof the 1970s, the movie Iracema, uma Transa Amaznica(1976) addressed the same silenced voices as Bo Bardiand Krajcberg, by way of a manifestation against theso-called dictatorial economic miracle. By associatingthe Transamazonic road crossing the Amazon forestaconstruction project of pharaonic proportionswiththe failure of the nation, the film is scarily up-to-date. After more than 35 years, very little seems tohave changed with the controversial Belo Monte damcomplex, implying in the construction of the worlds thirdlargest dam on the Xingu River in the Amazon, and the

displacement of thousands of indigenous people fromtheir lands. Even though these and other aspects, likethe discussion of Brazils new forest code, seem to havepersisted in the country, ecology and the environmentalcrisis have gained a weight on the post-industrial globalagenda that are not the same as 35 years ago.

Despite the systematic and unpunished destruction,today Brazil may not be the only territory where the

last natural resources have persisted on the globe,but also the nation that has something to teach aboutthe appropriation and creative use of them. In thedigital era, and vis--vis the environmental crisis, thisis provocatively suggested in Objects of the Forest,a book conceived by the designer and architect Andrea

Bandoni, as the result of a project funded by theFunarte/ Ministry of Culture of Brazil.

Unlike the neocolonial mimicry, and the often

patronizing modernist interpretation, or thewhistleblower muteness of Krajcbergs objects, theproject calls attention not to the death but to thenarratives and processes involved in the life cycle(the so-called cradle-to-cradle) of the mostrepresentative objects of the Amazon material culture.

Objects of the Forest is closer to Bo Bardis readingof the popular culture of Brazils dry Northeast, lessinterested in its forms than in its methods. And yet itbreaks with the idea that shortage, or deadlock, hasgenerated the objects analyzed, and prevented thedevelopment of more complex forms and processes, asa kind of subjection to the social reality, or to nature.Rather than for their functional and aesthetic value, theobjects were chosen from their splendid cradle throughthe prism of contemporary problems and needs, and

according to the ethics of sustainabilitythat is, theirminimum degree of interference in the Amazon ecosystem.

Furthermore, the project uestions the identityand practices of both user and designer. Firstly, itemphasizes not only design of traditional or ritualisticobjects made by man (Tipiti), but also the objects thatanimals design (Cabas house), as well as those that arefound in nature as such (Pirarucus tongue). Secondly, theproject encourages its local and external participants,the authors of such a selection, to diversify theirconventional role as designer. Ultimately, the projectenhances the sense of belonging to a particularecosystem, and community. Each analyzed object presentsa sort of DNA of the complex Amazonian context.

Neither the pure text of semiotics, nor the sheer

materiality of objects: the project reminds us thatobjects talkand may reveal their nature and socialdimension, both saturated with cultural significancewhenthe different layers of matter and meanings mesh.

Without wishing to cover the sociocultural andbiological diversity of the Amazon, or point to closed-form solutions, Objects of the Forest proposes anexcerpt that reveals a heretofore unmeasured potential.The project challenges the logic of both capitalist


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production and consumption, while taking for granted thesocial, economic and cultural reality of craftsman. In thissense, it proposes a contemporary rather than nostalgicreturn to Lvi-Strausss lesson in Tristes Tropiues(1955), reminding us that the modus operandi of ourcivilization is one option amongst many others that couldbe offered to humanity.

1. A native or inhabitant of the Brazilian state of Par.

2. A native or inhabitant of the Brazilian state of Cear.

3. The adjective Tropicalista refers back to Tropicalismo, alsoknown as Tropiclia, which arose from the title of a work by HlioOiticica (1937-1980), shown at the New Brazilian Objectivity exhibition[Nova Objetividade Brasileira] at the Rio de Janeiro Museum of ModernArt [Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro - MAM/RJ], in April 1967.In this work, consisting in the conception of an environment, the useof signs and images that are conventionally associated with tropicalBrazil was not intended to represent a given national reality, but toobjectify a Brazilian image by devouring the symbols of Brazilianculture, in the artists own words. This idea of devouring refersdirectly to the revival of the Cannibalism emulated at the alreadymentioned 1922 Modern Art Week. Oiticicas Tropicalia found echoes inother artistic manifestations of the period, eually experimental andsocially critic, such as in the cinema, theater and music.

5 Foreword: V. Grossman11 Index

13 The Objects

- TIPITI- CASA DE CABA- CUIAS

- LNGUA DE PIRARUCU- APITOS- REDES- PANACU & JAMAXIM- CUIA-DE-MACACO- TECIDOS- ESPATA DE PALMEIRA- BRINqUEDOS DE MIRITI- EMBALAGENS- EXTRAS

113 The Project117 The trip

119 The Workshops123 Support and Organization125 Image Credits127 Imprint

Index


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The Objects

Andrea Bandoni

The Amazon Forest is an area with

the greatest diversity of species foundanywhere on the planet. Here, mansrelationship with and appropriation of

shapes and materials all originate from

either necessity or opportunity. Byobserving the existing relationships inan area where nature prevails, I aim toillustrate natures applications and itscontexts, by articulating many of theselayers found through a collection ofobjects.

Given the enormity of the Amazon, thecollection could have been endless.However, I undertook the challenge to

refine this potentially vast collection byelecting exemplars and typologies thatdue to their aesthetic, cultural or socialexpressivenessI believe to be relevantfor the contemporary design debate.

The objects of the forest here exhibited


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reveal an impressive condensation ofmaterial, cultural and eco-systemicrichness and knowledge. It is possible toperceive nature, its cycles and processesthrough them. Whether each object has afew studies or is recognized as a culturalheritage, they all are shown to be usedin the XXI Century, proving the timeless

character and the value of solutionsoften regarded as primitive. Theconnection most of them posses with an

ancestral indigenous culture is explicit,hence the importance of ensuring theirpreservation.

When working with this selection, Inoticed that any attempt to group theobjects around a common denominatoralways proved to be insufficient. Forexample, when objects were classified

as furniture, toys, tools, and so on, theones that have multiple uses or are opento improvisation couldnt fit. Due to theinadeuacy of well-known manufacturingcategories as a means with which

to understand these objects, it wasnecessary to leave these aside and toinstead focus on the relationship betweenobjects and nature, leaving the observerscope for association.

At a time when we face the harsh

conseuences of irresponsible andunconstrained industrial production,this project calls attention to the

possibilities that nature at itsmost intense expression offers tocontemporary society in general, and todesign in particular. The objects of theforest depend on natural conditions fortheir production and are at many timesperishable; they are rooted in a non-consumerist culture and are derived fromtechniues that survive from artisanalpractices often endangered. Theseobjects can thus serve as inspiration forrediscovering nature in multiple ways, fortightening our bonds with it and helping usreinvent the world in which we live.


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TIPITISueezer


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When not in use, the tipiti is kept hanging in the roof structure of theflour production house.

This is a tool created specifically forprocessing cassava, one of the basic foodstaples in the Amazon region. Despitebeing poisonous it contains hydrocyanicacid, which is lethal if handled correctlyevery part of it can turn into food, fromroots to leaves: farinha (flour), polvilho,biju, maniva and tucupi are just some of

the products. Tipiti is a sort of sueezer made ofthe straw from local plants, such as Arumor Jacitara. These are hand-woven in away that allows the fibers to move. It hasan appearance similar to that of a long,narrow cylindrical basket, with an openingon top and two handles: the first is usedto anchor its position, and the other to

introduce a lever and pull it. The tipiti isused to separate liuid (water and poison)from the solid part of the cassava.

The Cassava plantcontains mortal amountsof Hydrocyanic Acid.


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After grating, the cassava roots are put inside the Tipiti. The tool isthen stretched in order to extract the liuid. This operation and therelease of poisonous water are only possible due to the way the fibersare crafted. The solid material that resonates inside the tipiti is theflours raw material.

Due to the plants poison, the cassava leaves must be cooked for 7days to make Manioba - a traditional dish from Belm.

The Cassava flour that can be produced with the tipiti is still vital forthe nourishment of many Amazonian populations.

For a long time this was a means ofsurvival in the Amazon. Today, withthe diminishing number of traditionalflour production houses, the use oftipiti is dwindling, and the knowledgeof this objects production is graduallylost. The tipiti today is encounteredmainly seen as a souvenir, available in

different sizes.


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Details of the

Construction

The Jacitara is one of the plants from which

the straws are used to weave the tipiti.


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CASA DE CABACabas House


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The various species of wasps build their nests in different shapes,usually found hanging in tree branches.

This decorative object is an uncommonnatural shape that is appropriated for itsstrong aesthetic uality.

Cabas House is the name used in theregion for the shelter or nest of wasps,which dangles from a tree branch. Thisexemplar is special for having an elongatedshape. Its appearance is highly evocative of

human craftsmanship, and when removed fromits original context, it acuires the statusof an art object.

The object is made out of paper-likematerial. The species of wasp that producesthis kind of shelter exists only in the Amazon,

and they chew the wood until it turns intoa paste, which then hardens as a parchment,

creating a lightweight structure. The nesting

chambers are constructed vertically, withopenings facing downwards. Many combs arefixed, one below the other, and all combs

combined are wrapped in many layers of

paper, with an opening for the wasps toenter and leave.


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Through a section made in a cabas house, it is possible toobserve the various levels of internal combs and how thin itsouter shell is.

The lower part of the nest has an opening for the

wasps entrance.

Paper wasp, thearchitect wasp.


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CUIASBowls


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The cuia ready to be harvested and a sprout growing on its side. Unlikeother fruits, the pulp of the cuia is thrown away while the skin isutilized.

This object is actually the skin of a fruitof the Cuieira tree, abundant in the Amazon.Available in several sizes but always of around shape, it can reach the size of a largewatermelon. The globes are usually cut inhalf, with their pulp removed, and are driedin the sun.

When cut straight through the middle,

the cuias serve as bowls and vessels formany activities: for eating and drinking,preparing mixtures, for bathing, to storeliuids, as a shovel, bag, case, vase, aspackaging, etc.

Semi-closed cuias with small cuts, areused to make music, for instance as rattlesor amplifiers. Its natural shape, the variouscutting options and the durability of the

material are key characteristics to providesuch versatility.

The Cuias from Santarm, typical ofthis Amazonian city, are hand crafted locally,

and this tradition has been recognized asCultural Heritage of the Brazilian State ofPar.


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A special use of teh cuias is as a measuring unit, to pick up prawns atVer-o-Peso market in Belm, serving as a rough measure.


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Click to watch the video with a report of a project madewith cuias, and the process of painting them black.

The cuias can have many different sizes. It is usual the selling ofdecorated cuias, which have hand-carved drawings on their skins.

HOW TO PAINT THE CUIAS BLACK?

After drying the cuias, it is very common to paintthem black with the resin of the stalk of a plant called

Cumat. The Cumat is very adaptable and abundant in thesurroundings of where Cuieiras usually grow.

Theres an interesting techniue to close the poresand fixate the darkness of the Cumat: the black cuias areput in contact with human urine. The ammonia present inthe urine hardens and darkens the Cumat resin, resultingin a smooth and shiny surface, which protects the cuiafrom rotting and improves its functionality and hygiene.

This process is still used in some localities in theAmazon, where the cuia is then called pissed cuia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xyoYli_SgUhttp://youtu.be/4xyoYli_SgUhttp://youtu.be/4xyoYli_SgUhttp://youtu.be/4xyoYli_SgUhttp://youtu.be/4xyoYli_SgUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xyoYli_SgUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xyoYli_SgU


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LNGUA DEPIRARUCU

Pirarucus Tongue


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The Pirarucu is a giant fish, one ofthe most well-known of the Amazon,measuring on average two meters long.Whilst the meat is widely appreciated in

many culinary dishes, the dried scales ofthe fish are used as nail-file and forornamental purposes.

The Pirarucu is one of the largest freshwater fishes in Brazil. It canreach up to 3 meters in length and weigh up to 250 kg.


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The bony-tonguesteeth givethe fish extra

help when

eating.

Pirarucus tongue is a bone rather than a muscle.

The object is traditionally

used to grate Guaran sticksand the resulting powder isused to prepare energizingbreakfast drinks.

Once dried, the bone of the Pirarucustongue acuires the texture of a roughsandpaper, and measures approximately 20centimeters in lenght. It is used to grateGuaran sticks into powder. (Guaran is anamazonian fruit, and the stick is the oldestform of retaining and trading this product).

In keeping with the tradition of using

every part of the Pirarucu, this objectalso appropriates part of the animal and

turns it into a domestic utensil. Given thesymbiosis between fish and object, this

object is at as much risk of extinctiondue to excessive and unregulated fishingpractices, as the Pirarucu itself.


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The dried scales of Pirarucu arecommonly sold as souvenirs and canbe used as a nail -file.

The Pirarucu skin is a flexible andextremely solid natural armorcapable of withstanding even

Piranha bites.

Most of the techniues used to catch the Pirarucu are based ontraditional local fishermans skills. This absence of rules can resultin the extinction of the fish.


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APITOSWhistles


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Whistles are very common objectsin the Amazon, and their function is tomimic the sound of birds to attract preyor to serve as means of communication,for instance to call to people inside

the forest. They are artifacts made ofnatural local materials, which at the sametime assist in the exploration of the local

environment itself. There are several models, and thesounds produced are uite different.Some shapes are the appropriation of

natural forms: usually seeds or fruitswhose pulp is removed and the skins thenperforated. Others are crafted usinglocal materials, such as wood, clay or mud.

Some whistles are played in unusual

ways, like blowing it with the nose insteadof the mouth. It is also common to findthe shape of a bird in hand-modeledwhistles, as a direct association of form

and function in the object.

The body mass of the Mutum makes it a good meal. To attract this bird,amazonians reproduce its sounds through whistles.


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Whistles made with seeds

Whistles with bird shapes


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Click to watch a video on the sounds andhow to use the whistles.

Wooden whistles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeWvfeqzxbwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeWvfeqzxbwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeWvfeqzxbwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeWvfeqzxbwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeWvfeqzxbwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeWvfeqzxbwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeWvfeqzxbw


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REDESHammocks


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The hammock is an object widelyused and extremely well-adapted tothe Amazonian needs. This piece is bothfurniture and a simple textile; it is lightto carry, allows easy installation and can

be hung at a distance from the floor allof which are fundamental reuirementsfor a camp in the forest. Furthermore,

it allows a swinging movement and formsa shelter without becoming too hot.Its popularity all around Brazil shows thegreat formal and functional convenienceof this object.

The hammocks seen in the Amazon

are generally industrial. However,the traditional indigenous legacy ishandcrafted hammocks, made by weavingnatural fibers such as the straw of Buritior Tucum.

In houses without doors, it is important to keep a distance from thefloor so that animals and insects dont reach people during their sleep.


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Hammocks in boats

The use of hammocks in the long- distance travel boatsof the region is remarkable. The main transportationmeans in the Amazon are the rivers, and the journeysbetween the major cities last an average of two days.Due to the weather, the boats are mostly open air - and

do not have any seats: they are totally adapted to theuse of hammocks. Each passenger must bring and attachhis own hammock, which will be his bed during the long tripand offers some private spaces aboard. Far from beingimpersonal, this system presents a uniue solution forthe accommodation of passengers: at the same time theboats carry big masses of people they can still be highlycustomized.


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PANACU & JAMAXIMNatural Bags


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These are different models of bags or

backpacks created by weaving together

leaves or vines, often produced in the

forest to be used instantly to carry things.

A peculiarity observed in the Amazon is the

way people carry these volumes: they rest

their strap across their forehead.

Some are manufactured through a simple

but ingenious use of leaves of different palm

trees such as Arum, Buriti, Aa, amongst

others: by taking advantage of the strength

and shape of the material.

The most robust vessels are made by

weaving vines, such as Cip Titica or Amb.

These vessels have a rigid and thin material,

with its weave tightly knit, resulting in a

very resistant piece. This kind of backpack

can bear a lot of weight, and is commonlyused to carry children or to transport

products from the forest.

Click to watch a video on the usage ofbags in the forest tracks by Tapajs River.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxxDlwetJQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxxDlwetJQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxxDlwetJQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxxDlwetJQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxxDlwetJQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxxDlwetJQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxxDlwetJQ


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As they form a kind of

basket, besides serving totransport belongings theseobjects are also used ascontainers, for example as

waste bins.

The bags must be wovenwhile the leaves are stillgreen. The resistance ofthe piece comes with the

aging of the material.

The Panacu


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The aerial roots are the parts

of the Cip Amb used to makethe jamaxim.

The Jamaxim

The jamaxim being used tocarry heavy cassava roots.


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The craft techniue usesthe most rigid part of thepalm tree leaf as a structurefor the bags, and the mostflexible part to be woven indifferent ways.

Making the bags


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CUIA-DE-MACACOCuia-of-Monkey


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Different kinds of cuias, with diverse shapes, hang from Amazonian trees.

This object is actually a box ofseeds. It is the fruit of the tree calledCuia-de-Macaco (Cuia-of-Monkey). Ithangs on a tree that grows on the riverbank, and, when the lid of the fruit fallsoff, the nail-shaped seeds trapped insidethe box are scattered around anddispersed by the flowing waters.

Since its shape is so intriguing, thefruit is used by people to turn intodecorative and even playful objects,taking advantage of the organization ofthe seeds inside the box, which look like

a perfect puzzle.


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TXTEISTextiles


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The use of mats as sunblinds is very suitable to the Amazonian region,since they are produced with natural materials that refrain light andheat.

These objects are made from differentnatural materials crafted into tissues andfabrics, with or without decorative patterns.

Mats or tups are generally fabricatedwith the splint of plants like Arum or Buriti,which can be dyed and waterproofed and then

hand-woven. They can be produced in largedimensions and are commonly used as carpets,

panels and sun-blinds.

Cloths can be found in the Amazon madefrom local materials, such as Patchouli,Tururi, Buriti and Tucum straw, and manyothers. Their production generally consistsof making threads, yarns or units with whichit is possible to knit, crochet, sew, etc.The textiles are then used to make towels,curtains, hammocks and even garments.

Since they reuire direct work with thenatural materials using ancestral techniues,and given the increasing availability ofindustrial fabrics and machines, someof these processes are not commonly

encountered, and the knowledge of theseprocesses is at risk of extinction.


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Click to watch a video on the production of Arum

mats with native-indian patterns.

The drawings in the mats are an indigenous tradition andrefer to nature and to local daily life, or even to themyths told by the elderly. They have names that canbe translated as snake knitting, ounce mesh, pineappleskin, maarico (bird) foot or spider web. The patternsare created in the weaving process, by mixing dyed andnatural splints of Arum.

The Arum splints are the rawmaterial for the mats.

The Mats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwwbRBZQuqkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwwbRBZQuqkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwwbRBZQuqkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwwbRBZQuqkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwwbRBZQuqkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwwbRBZQuqkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwwbRBZQuqk


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With the Tucum straw it is possible tocrochet pieces in different styles.

The Cloths

Table cloths by Dica Frazo, who works only with localnatural materials.


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A dress by Dica Frazo made with Tururi (liber).

Click to watch a video on the Museum Dica Frazo -a 90 year-old amazonian fashion designer.

Threes that produce textiles

Tururi, a material foundin the Amazon, is a tissueready to use, without firstneeding to make threadsor to weave. It consistsof the fiber found under

the bark of certain trees,such as Copaba, Tauari orCaxinguba. It is obtainedby scraping off the mostexternal bark of the plants,

and then simply removed,soaked, beaten and finally

dried in the sun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7h2wGf3CCghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7h2wGf3CCghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7h2wGf3CCghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7h2wGf3CCghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7h2wGf3CCghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7h2wGf3CCghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7h2wGf3CCghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7h2wGf3CCg


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ESPATA DEPALMEIRASpathe

of Palm Tree


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The spathes, present in some palm trees, are like recipients that

safeguard flowers and fruits.

The object consists in the appropriation

of a part of the palm tree whose function

is to protect flowers and fruits. It is

called spathe or bract, and it resembles

a large modified leave. It is found in palm

trees like the Inaj and Babau. When it falls

from the tree and dries, it becomes stiff

and can be used by people.

This is an extremely versatile natural

shape, able to generate movement

and suitable for several uses when

appropriated: as a fruit bowl or receptacle,

a decorative object or even as a swing

or cradle for children. These are customs

inherited from indigenous cultures.


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Inaj is a palm with a long and closed spathe, resistant enough toserve as a vase without decomposing.


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BRINqUEDOS DEMIRITI

Miriti Toys


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Miriti (or Buriti) is a palm tree abundant

in the northern region of Brazil, and it is

used for several purposes. The fruit is used

in the local cuisine and the leaves can serve

as a roof for houses. Toys are made from

the plant pulp, which is called Amazonian

foam on account of its extreme lightness.

To manufacture the foam, the external

splint of the Miriti a kind of hard fiber is removed, and the pulp is then dried in the

sun.

The toys are made by carving this pulp,

which is round and very flexible - easy to

sculpt with knives. After that, a resin is

applied and the objects are painted. The

shapes of the objects express the artisans

view on nature and typical Amazonian

elements or scenes: snakes, birds, lovers,

boats, etc.

These toys are the symbol of the Crio

de Nazar, the largest religious festival

of Belm. In the traditional cortege, many

followers make and carry Miriti objects

which are very light to fulfill vows.


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The Miriti is one of the plants with the biggest economic

value in the Amazon region, since its different parts

can be availed for various purposes, such as food,

construction and crafts.

The Miriti toys for sale on the market in Abaetetuba.

The city of Abaetetuba is the main hub

of production of the Miriti toys, which are

recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage

of the Brazilian State of Par.


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10cm

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The raw material for the production of the toys is the inner partof the plant that sustains the leaves.

Click to watch a video on an artisanexplaining and making a Miriti bird.

Making Miriti toys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1GOxm7yijs&feature=plcphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCf0E0icLbghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCf0E0icLbghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCf0E0icLbghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCf0E0icLbghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1GOxm7yijs&feature=plcphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCf0E0icLbg


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EMBALAGENSPackaging


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Wrapping and structure being created from natural materials inthe forest in order to make cooking viable without a pan.

These selected packages are wraps

made of leaves, vines and other materials

available in nature, without any kind of

processing. Some of the most common

materials are Arum leaves, dried leaves and

Bananeira leaves, which are simply folded and

can be tied or pinned to create a better

structure.

These natural packages take advantageof the properties of a certain material

to isolate and store another item. This

isolation can be merely visual, or also to

avoid the smell or touch, and can serve for

various other purposes, from facilitating

transportation to avoiding the dispersion of

a powder. Wraps are also used in cooking: it

can be used to conserve things, to impart a

special flavor to dishes through smoking, and

can even serve as a plate.

The habit of using natural materials as

packaging is disappearing in the Amazon

region. For example, fresh meat was formerly

wrapped in sheets of Arum leaves in the

markets, but today is being wrapped in

newspapers or even plastic bags.


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20cm

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108

Natural soaps are sold wrapped inArum leaves in an old-fashionedherb store in Belm.


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Fish cooked inside a leafy package to gain a special taste. Bananeiraleaves are the most commonly used.


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Besides the presented objects, the expedition Objects

of the Forest in the Amazon encountered many other

processes and materials of interest to designers. Thesefindings are compiled on the internet, and can beviewed by accessing the following link:

www.objetosdafloresta.com/extras

EXTRAS
http://www.objetosdafloresta.com/http://www.objetosdafloresta.com/


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Objects of the Forest a projectby Andrea Bandoni

Nature, as source of inspiration or concern, is one ofthe focal themes nowadays in almost all fields. From theperspective of a Brazilian designer, I believe nature isthe biggest treasure my country holds. This project is afirst attempt to head in the direction of discovering thedesign potential in areas dominated by nature, so that anew methodology for creating sustainable objects can be

derived.The project was born when I had my first contact

with a tipiti. The appearance, texture and function ofthis object helped me realize that in an area where natureprevails, where the existing relationships between manand environment are visible and materialized into objects,design has a lot to find and learn that can be of benefitto the world.

Objects of the Forest looks at the Amazon from

a point of view that has never been explored before,which is to say: specifically from designers who areseeking to understand how one can have a more harmoniouscoexistence with nature whilst using the skills and

techniues laid down by nature itself.

In April 2012, I coordinated a trip through theAmazon region, travelling over 2.000km, passing through9 strategic locations, encompassing communities, designschools and various organizations. By means of fieldexperience and visiting more than 30 institutions, I triedto understand what sustainability is and its relationshipnot only to nature but its relevance to modern daysociety. This uestion helped me to define the present


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set of objects shown, which also demonstrate a varietyof perspectives on nature.

Workshops were held in the cities of Manausand Belm, aiming to discuss the theme with localstakeholders. In these occasions it became evidentthat reflecting about the subject and ideals can assistin the creation of new objects with the same level ofsustainability the objects presented here possess.The development of the project, in every detailand with images, may be followed in an online diary:objetosdafloresta.com/diario.

The publication of this e-book hopes to encourageexperiments in sustainability in the design field (stillscarce in Brazil) and to widely distribute the collectedinformation. It also hopes to raise discussionson subjects such as local culture, memory, natureconservation, the social role of the designer, sustainableproduction, and the use of natural raw materials.

Besides exploring and valuing the potential thatexists in the Amazon Forest, Objects of the Forestchallenges and encourages contemporary designers toimagine and work for a new, post-industrial system. Asystem that considers how products can not only stopharming people and the environment, but also how they

can have a positive impact in the future, helping todefuse the environmental crisis.

Due to the interest that has surfaced from and forthis work, we are studying possibilities of developing andcontinuing the project.


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3

2 1 5

4

9

8

7

6

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The trip

A total of 2 386 km travelled across the Amazon: 440 km by bus, 807 km by plane and 1 139 km by boat

1 Manaus 7 a 13/42 Parue Anavilhanas 14 e 15/43 Novo Airo 16/044 Santarm 19 e 20/45 FLONA Tapajs 20 e 21/4

6 Alter do Cho 22 e 23/47 Belm 24 a 27/4 e 2 a 5/58 Maraj 28/4 a 1/59 Abaetetuba 4/5

Departure from SoPaulo on 7/4/2012during one month.


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Andrea Valentin: [email protected] Andressa CruzBrunna R. Anchieta: [email protected] C. Durigan: [email protected] NogueiraEnnio Candotti

Jimmy ChristianThais Bentes:[email protected] Gama:

[email protected] Mesuita GadelhaZeca Nazar

Ana Paula D. CostaBrbara Mller:[email protected] G. S. Pimentel:

[email protected] Pereira AmorimGilda Trindade

Glauber Jlio: [email protected] Santos: [email protected] Hilda M. NunesJosi Mendes:[email protected] Maria P. AbrahimLucas D. de CarvalhoMacio MonteiroMrcia M. de AlmeidaMisael LimaNilza Maria S. de AlcantraNinon R. Jardim: [email protected] Nubia Santos: [email protected] Brito: [email protected] V. A. de Sousa

Manaus

Belm

The workshops were very successful; there was a sense ofenthusiasm and a very strong commitment to getting themost out of the experience. The participants still stayconnected to the project and are available to discussthemes related to the workshops:


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Support

MUSA Museu da Amaznia (Manaus, AM)SESC Boulevard (Belm, PA)

Partners

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge (Novo Airo, AM)Chez Ls Rois (Manaus, AM)Eco Pousada Miriti (Belm, PA)

Organization

Reproduction is authorized since thesource is mentioned.

Free distribution, not for sale.
http://www.museudaamazonia.org.br/http://sescboulevard.blogspot.com.br/http://www.anavilhanaslodge.com/home/http://www.chezlesrois.com.br/http://www.miritipousada.com.br/http://www.miritipousada.com.br/http://www.chezlesrois.com.br/http://www.anavilhanaslodge.com/home/http://sescboulevard.blogspot.com.br/http://www.museudaamazonia.org.br/http://www.funarte.gov.br/http://www.funarte.gov.br/


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Image Credits

P. 4, 30, 50, 52, 54, 58, 60, 62, 74, 76, 98,100, 106 & 108 - Flora brasiliensis on-line:florabrasilienis.cria.org.br

P. 18 & 22 (cima) Jimmy Christian

P. 19 Gene Helfman:www.flickr.com/photos/duncanelkins/132214929

P. 20 Project Gutemberg:

www.gutenberg.org

P. 23 Revista Panorama Rural:www.panoramarural.com.br

P. 26 Wikilivros:pt.wikibooks.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Cassava_(PSF).jpg

P. 36, 37 & 43 Wikimedia Commons:commons.wikimedia.org

P. 40 Agricultura Alternativa:www.agriculturaalternativa.com

P. 53 (cima) Cludia Kahwage e Glauber Jlio

P.75 (abaixo) Fibras de ndio / FVA:www.fva.org.br

P. 96 Brunna Anchieta

P. 112 & 120 Vanessa Gama

P. 116 & 117 Google Maps:maps.google.com.br
http://www.florabrasilienis.cria.org.br/http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanelkins/132214929http://www.gutenberg.org/http://www.panoramarural.com.br/http://pt.wikibooks.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Cassava_(PSF).jpghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/http://www.agriculturaalternativa.com/http://www.fva.org.br/http://maps.google.com.br/http://maps.google.com.br/http://www.fva.org.br/http://www.agriculturaalternativa.com/http://commons.wikimedia.org/http://pt.wikibooks.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Cassava_(PSF).jpghttp://www.panoramarural.com.br/http://www.gutenberg.org/http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanelkins/132214929http://www.florabrasilienis.cria.org.br/


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Despite the systematic andunpunished destruction, todayBrazil may not be the only

territory where the last naturalresources have persisted on theglobe, but also the nation thathas something to teach aboutthe appropriation and creative

use of them. In the digital era,and vis--vis the environmentalcrisis, this is provocativelysuggested in Objects of theForest, a book conceived by the

designer and architect AndreaBandoni, as the result of aproject funded by the Funarte/Ministry of Culture of Brazil.

(Vanessa Grossman)

j
http://www.objetosdafloresta.com/http://www.objetosdafloresta.com/

Documents

Objects of the Forest En4