The famed Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi’s Casa de Vidro couldn’t be further from a typical white-cube gallery. The space, a one-story square made of glass, is surrounded by lush greenery and built around a tree that grows through the middle. After completing the São Paulo building in 1951, Bo Bardi lived there with her husband. It endures as the late architect’s first major effort to translate the Italian modernist architecture she studied into a Brazilian vernacular called Arquitetura Povera.
For Bottega Veneta’s Creative Director Matthieu Blazy, Bo Bardi’s structure seemed like the perfect place to celebrate the brand’s 10th anniversary in Brazil with a combination of art, conversation, and music. In 2022, Bottega Veneta launched The Square, a project focused on bringing artistic minds together in square-shaped spaces conducive to creative collaboration. The project has touched down in cities ranging from Tokyo to Dubai, creating or activating notable venues with the brand’s signature green hue and related cultural programming.
The São Paulo iteration offers a variety of ways to engage with Bo Bardi’s work and Brazilian culture. There are tours of Casa de Vidro’s interiors, an introduction to the gardens, a guide to Brazil’s key art movements, and a soundscape that pays tribute to the quintessential Brazilian samba style of Bossa Nova. The Square São Paulo also provides visitors with unique opportunities to interact with the work of historic and of-the-moment Brazilian artists. On display are works by Neo-Concrete pioneers Lygia Pape and Hélio Oiticica, as well as examples by such contemporary figures as Luiz Zerbini and Vivian Caccuri.
The event revives Casa de Vidro’s original purpose as a site of artistic experimentation and connection while paying homage to Brazil’s distinct and influential art history—as well as Bottega Veneta’s core values of craft, creativity, and self-expression.
The Square São Paulo will be open through June 3, 2023 at Casa de Vidro in São Paulo, Brazil.
