The sneaker is unanimously recognised as one of the icons of contemporary culture. In this exhibition, designer and curator Pedro Carvalho de Almeida presents his collection of more than 500 Portuguese sneakers, sheding a light on the athletic footwear brands designed and produced from the 1930's to the new millennium.
Set out chronologically and thematically, Sneakers (Sapatilhas) exhibition presents both a historical retrospective and a space for critical reflection. Pedro Carvalho de Almeida's collection showcases a brief cultural contextualisation of the social, political and economic significance of the sports brands, together with an in-depth look at companies such as Sanjo and Cortebel.
Bringing to life the idea of brand archaeology, this exhibition reveals an impressive archive of design history, visible through the sneakers and their packaging, memorabilia and cutting-edge materials. The more than 100 brands on display embody a curatorial work of exploration, as well as a work of time, into Portuguese designed and manufactured athletic footwear.
The exhibition is the result of a partnership between Matosinhos City Council, esad—idea Research in Design and Art and the Research Institute for Design, Media and Culture (ID+)
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One of the pairs on display at Casa do Design is this 1960s children's football boot with crossbars. Photo: Luís Espinheira[/caption]
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Pedro Carvalho de Almeida is an Assistant Professor of Design. He works at the Department of Communication and Art at the University of Aveiro in Portugal. He has taught in London at Central Saint Martins. He has also taught in Paris at ENSCI-Les Ateliers and in Glasgow at the Innovation School at The Glasgow School of Art. His teaching covers strategic design, design management, product semantics, visual research methods and contextual studies. He has helped to define brand archaeology as a field of study and methodological approach. His research has been presented and published internationally at design conferences, exhibitions and doctoral seminars. In recent years, his research has explored the revival of vanished Portuguese sneaker brands. He is doing this through contextual footwear design changes.
One of the pairs on display at Casa do Design is this 1960s children's football boot with crossbars. Photo: Luís Espinheira[/caption]
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Pedro Carvalho de Almeida is an Assistant Professor of Design. He works at the Department of Communication and Art at the University of Aveiro in Portugal. He has taught in London at Central Saint Martins. He has also taught in Paris at ENSCI-Les Ateliers and in Glasgow at the Innovation School at The Glasgow School of Art. His teaching covers strategic design, design management, product semantics, visual research methods and contextual studies. He has helped to define brand archaeology as a field of study and methodological approach. His research has been presented and published internationally at design conferences, exhibitions and doctoral seminars. In recent years, his research has explored the revival of vanished Portuguese sneaker brands. He is doing this through contextual footwear design changes.
