Ideas Contest
TAGUS (Association for the Integrated Development of Inland Ribatejo), through the AO.RI project (Arts and Crafts of Inland Ribatejo) and the municipalities of Abrantes, Constância and Sardoal organised the second edition of the ideas contest: “From Traditional Crafts to Innovation”, with the aim to stimulate innovation through the creative transformation of handicrafts, from a differentiation perspective adapted to today’s life, as well as preserving the ‘know-how’, techniques and traditional materials used in the Inland Ribatejo.
In this second edition, the challenge was set to young people, but also to creatives over the age of 22 with their own category, who could participate individually or collectively. The projects presented, in two and/or three dimensions, were inspired by traditional handicrafts from the region.
The projects were inspired by traditional objects such as:
“Seiras and Capachos” from Abrantes, used in ‘old-fashioned’ olive oil mills, both manual and pressed. They were originally made from esparto or coir yarn traditionally by the hands of women who crossed and intertwined the coir yarn on a wooden frame.
Tinplate Chests from Sardoal, chest-shaped pieces of furniture which, from the mid-50s to the late 80s, became common in almost every Portuguese home. As they have excellent preservation characteristics, conferred by the tinplate, they became a precious element for preserving organic materials such as clothes and trousseaus or other precious household objects.
Straw Fans from Sardoal, refreshing and colourful, made from simple materials, giving the object a unique originality. The straws come from two plants: the slender wild oat (Avena barbata) and the rye (Secale cereale). Each fan contains around 115 to 135 Intertwined straws, sewn together with rags, which are small pieces of fabric waste.
Bulrush (Typha sp.) and wood furniture from Constância, these handcrafted pieces of furniture have a wooden base and feature a seat and/or backrest stuffed with bulrush fibres. By intertwining this fibres we get a lighter, more flexible and more comfortable seat and backrest. You can see the shortlist here. The 8 projects are up for the Public Vote Award until 18H00 (CET) on 19 June 2024.
