Presentation of the Exhibition Books and Talk — SANAA: SEJIMA + NISHIZAWA and ÁLVARO SIZA: DESIGNING EVERYDAY LIFE
With Francesca Singer, Fátima Fernandes, Carlos Castanheira, Álvaro Siza and António Choupina
Acesso gratuito, sujeito a inscrição no link
The Serralves Foundation hosts a dual book presentation for SANAA: SEJIMA + NISHIZAWA and ÁLVARO SIZA: DESIGNING EVERYDAY LIFE, which accompany the exhibitions currently on view at the Álvaro Siza Wing of the Serralves Museum. These two newly published volumes offer essential insights into the thinking and practice of two of the most significant figures in contemporary architecture.
The event will feature a conversation around the publications with a panel of architects: Francesca Singer from the SANAA studio, Fátima Fernandes from Cannatá & Fernandes arquitectos, Carlos Castanheira, and Álvaro Siza, moderated by António Choupina, curator of the exhibition. Together, they will reflect on the central themes of the books, fostering a dialogue that bridges the distinct yet resonant worlds of the Japanese studio SANAA and the renowned Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza.
The projects of Inujima and Imabari represent different facets of the SANAA architecture studio and the independent practices of its founders, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. Their partnership, which spans more than 30 years, is celebrated through the exhibition at the Museum. Always starting from the context, SANAA's typological studies are an iterative process through which their architecture incrementally connects with those who will inhabit the spaces.
Radically different in scope, these projects result from a long-term practice guided by a methodology of continuous learning and adaptation, viewing architecture as an extension of the environment it helps to shape.
The exhibition ÁLVARO SIZA: DESIGNING EVERYDAY LIFE, in continuity with C.A.S.A. — Álvaro Siza Collection, Archive, which explored the macrocosm of Siza’s work over the past ninety years, presents a selection aimed at deepening the understanding of his body of work through the microcosm of his design objects. Created in complete harmony with architectural space—just like the furniture displayed in the parallel SANAA: Sejima + Nishizawa exhibition—these pieces represent distinct moments in time, from the Boa Nova Tea House to the new Álvaro Siza Wing at the Serralves Foundation.
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Fátima Fernandes (b. 1961) graduated from the Escola Superior de Belas Artes do Porto in 1986, having previously interned in Italy under the supervision of Professor Manuel Mendes in 1984. From 1990 to 1992, she led the Office for the Historic Centre of Miranda do Douro and has taught at ESAP – Escola Superior Artística do Porto since 1996, where she became Head of the Architecture Department in 2013. In 2000, she co-founded the architecture studio Cannatá & Fernandes Arquitectos Lda with Michele Cannatà, with whom she has worked professionally in Portugal and Italy since 1984. They are both responsible for the scientific coordination of Concreta – Exponor (since 1999), the Architecture Department of ASA Publishing (1993), and the Architecture Department of Civilização Publishing (since 2004). Their work has been featured in several solo and group exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale and the Milan Triennale. She is also active as a curator in various cultural institutions and universities, participating in international seminars and as a lecturer. In 2023, Riccardo Cannatà joined their studio after twelve years working with Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA in Tokyo.