Materials and methodologies

The workshop adopted an exploratory and practical approach, in which participants worked directly with discarded electronic equipment and previously selected obsolete materials. The participants were confronted with the aforementioned materials and began the relationship process where various analysis, selection, interaction and understanding techniques were adopted, identifying the objects and materials based on the different materials that composed them, exposing their reliable stories and their potential for transformation. The emphasis was on finding materials and forms that provoked creative responses and offered new sculptural possibilities. At this stage, participants were presented with various techniques for handling materials and equipment. In addition to the technical execution, the workshop emphasized the importance of conceptual depth, culminating in a group presentation/discussion where the reinvented objects were the theme of a collective reflection on the process of transformation, on artistic intention and the role of sustainability in contemporary artistic practice and the protection of sculpture in the future.

Results and observations

The workshop achieved the following results: – Increased awareness of sustainable artistic practices, development of innovative approaches for materials transformation, strengthening critical thinking in relation to the life cycle of objects and their artistic potential, creation of unique works that reflect a dialogue between material history and artistic reinvention, reflection on the broader social and environmental implications of reuse in artistic practices, during the workshop, participants were constantly involved in processes of experimentation and adaptation to the materials. The concept of “Work in Progress” was central to the approach, where each participant was continually reviewing, adjusting and reinterpreting their work, not only from a technical perspective, but also in terms of artistic and conceptual evolution. This approach ensured that the work was never considered complete, promoting ongoing reflection on the selected objects and fragments. The process was enriched by continuous sharing, experimentation and debate between students and teachers, promoting individual results that emerged from the sensory relationships and creative interactions established. The working group was also defined by a sensitive and emotional connection between all participants, teachers, students and technical support team, where the poetic essence of the results became truly fundamental in the development of the workshop. The intertwining of technical, conceptual and emotional elements created a richer and more nuanced creative process, where the sensitivity of each individual contributed to a collective understanding of the end of fragments and objects and the beginning of their transmutation.