São Paulo – To Moroccan women, they are more than precious. Bracelets, earrings, broaches and jewellery in general are often seen as assets in their hands. Even if other assets are not taken after a marriage break up, the jewels are kept. And a sample of what these items are, alongside other objects showing the culture of Morocco, like female garments, may be seen by those visiting Moinhos Shopping, a mall in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, in exhibition “Marrakesh, Red City", up to February 17th.
The exhibition was developed by Giselle Padoin Custódio, a researcher and fashion consultant who travelled to Morocco three times last year seeking elements of jewellery, fashion, architecture and decoration from the country. "I have always appreciated eastern culture," she says, adding that her work was focussed on Marrakesh, the city renowned for its red constructions. Giselle also did on research in the cities of Taroudant, where women tend to wear blue, and in Tiznit, a centre for jewellery in the country.
The consultant graduated in Language and Literature, has a post-graduate degree from the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) in Advanced English Language Studies, but has taken several courses in the areas of fashion, jewellery, arts and history. Some of them, in fact, in Paris, France, and Florence, Italy. She has already worked on several exhibitions at Moinhos Shopping, including three at a temporary gallery there, and two at Shopping Iguatemi, in Porto Alegre. She has also taught at the Instituto Europeu di Design (IED), in São Paulo.
At the exhibition about Morocco, 80 items may be seen, including pictures, zelliges (ceramic mosaics), silver jewellery, fabric, kaftans (female oriental tunics) and clogs, as well as decoration items. There is also a mini garden in honour of stylist Yves Saint-Laurent, who loved Morocco and purchased Majorelle Garden, famous in Marrakesh, together with Pierre Bergé.
The exhibition in Porto Alegre has the support of the embassy of Morocco in Brasília, which helped Giselle in her research, in the Arab country. The consultant does much research on jewellery, fashion, architecture and decorations of different countries and says that she always starts in books. The work develops, however, with field research, which starts with conversations with organisations in each area.
In Morocco, she made contact with locals, went to museums, antique shops and to a mosque, where she photographed the women there to ask for good fortune. In each of her trips to Morocco, Giselle was there for around 15 days. The idea, however, is for the exhibition to be taken to other states, like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. That, according to the consultant, is the intention of the Moroccan embassy.
The exhibition in Porto Alegre began in late January and will be open to the public during the shopping centre’s working hours, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. It was designed by Ceres Storchi and Roberta Guerra, architects responsible for designing the exhibition for Giselle. Promotion is by Art Studio, specialized in art consultancy and fashion research.
Service
Exhibition "Marrakech, Red City"
Site: Moinhos Shopping, Rua Olavo Barreto Viana e Tobias da Silva, in Porto Alegre – RS
Date: January 25 to February 17
Time: Every day, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Admittance: free
Further information: (+55 51) 2123-2000
*Translated by Mark Ament
