Full transcript
0:11Hello to you who are tuned in to our
0:13Radio Defensora programming , another
0:15Cultura na Mesa podcast is starting
0:17with me , Beatriz Priquinho , talking
0:19about art , actually it's by Milomen ,
0:21who is here with me . He's a visual
0:26artist here in Horaima , but he also
0:27recently produced the first artistic
0:29furniture in our state , there's a
0:31partnership there too , right ? Anyway , I
0:34wanted to thank you for accepting the
0:36invitation , welcome .
0:38Thank you . It's always good to be here
0:40talking about art , talking about our
0:42art scene . Explain to me a little about
0:46this idea , where did this project come
0:48from , to build the first artistic
0:50furniture ? Actually , it came from the
0:55idea of doing a collaboration with Lara
0:57Hilmy , who is an artist from Fortaleza ,
0:59right ? We didn't know each other . The
1:03most interesting part of the story is
1:05that we didn't know each other . We
1:08talked online and discussed what the
1:10artwork could be . It wasn't clear what
1:15it could be – a panel , a sculpture ,
1:17well , she's a painter , she also sculpts
1:19in plaster . And at the time we were
1:21talking , I was finalizing the prototype
1:23of a piece of furniture that I'm going
1:25to launch in the United States , right ?
1:28It's a commercial , signed piece of
1:30furniture , very regional , very
1:31Hororaimo-esque . And I thought , why not
1:35make an artistic version of this
1:37furniture ? Because , well , signed
1:40furniture is also a work of art , but a
1:42more commercial work of art , right ?
1:46Artistic furniture is more of a
1:48sculpture than just furniture . I
1:50usually joke that it's a sculpture you
1:52can sit on , for example , right ? If it's
1:55an armchair , which is the case , she
1:57thought the idea was great and we
1:58joined forces , right ? We spent 60 days
2:01talking and aligning things remotely ,
2:03and another 60 days executing it here .
2:06She came from Fortaleza to here , we did
2:08the work together . I already had the
2:11engineering project for the furniture ,
2:13right ? The structure was conceived , and
2:16the details were worked on throughout
2:18the process , right ? And the concept was
2:23basically to create a piece of
2:24furniture that represented our vision
2:26of Hororaima . And that's the most
2:29interesting thing . It's not furniture
2:31that represents Hororaima ; it's the
2:33vision of someone from Ceará who
2:34didn't know Hororaima , together with
2:36someone from Hororaima
2:39who knows it in their own way . I
2:41confess that I don't know Hororaima
2:43like many here do , right ? I'm an urban
2:45Roraima native , right ? From Boa Vista ,
2:47the son of a gaucho and a goiano , right
2:49? So , I have a very particular history ;
2:51I'm not a reference point for a vast
2:53area , that's the truth . In fact , nobody
2:56is , because everyone here is so
2:57different , right ? Everyone came from
2:59elsewhere and so on . So , we combined
3:03our visions and converged on this idea
3:05of what Hororaima is , right ? The
3:09beauties of Hororaima . And in the
3:12armchair , you can see references to the
3:14waters of the Amazon , right ? Streams ,
3:17rivers . Because the armchair resembles
3:21a boat . There's also this issue . On the
3:24sides , we have carved plaster depicting
3:28the immense flora and fauna . So it's an
3:32extremely exclusive piece of furniture ,
3:34impossible to replicate , and there's no
3:36intention of doing so because it's
3:38truly unique . It's the first piece of
3:41furniture from Roraima . And this title ,
3:44let's say , was only identified during
3:49the process , which I didn't know about .
3:54During the manufacturing process , I
3:55started researching to see if there had
3:57been any artist , architect , or
3:59individual in Roraima who had made
4:01furniture with this style , with this
4:02intention . And no , in the history of
4:06Roraima , there never was . So , we
4:09embarked on this project with this high
4:11standard , this very high responsibility
4:13of making the first piece of furniture ,
4:15without a doubt , one of the most
4:16beautiful artistic pieces of furniture
4:18in Brazil , right ? That was our
4:22intention . And the final result was
4:25very cool , very interesting , right ?
4:28From the process to the final result ,
4:30it was a unique thing in my career . I
4:32had never worked with anyone before .
4:34Always alone , right ? Always alone ,
4:39except for one exception , Larissa
4:40Vilela , who lent me one of her works
4:42for me to intervene on , but it was a
4:44lot of work ; she had already done her
4:46part , and I did mine later . So , in that
4:55case , no , we were always together ,
4:57those intense 60 days , working there 10
4:59, 12 hours a day on the piece , seven
5:01days a week , bringing more people
5:03closer . We brought in Jamil Vilela , who
5:07, despite the surname Larissa Vilela
5:09and Jamil Vilela , they are not related ,
5:11right ? A coincidence , but Jamil is a
5:18local craftsman and artist , and we
5:20brought him in to work on the wood
5:22fitting , just as I worked with Seu
5:24Antônio , who is also a carpenter , who
5:26was part of the process , and there was
5:28an upholsterer ; in short , there was a
5:29team , but the two thinking heads were
5:31always there , mine and Lara's , to make
5:33this project happen . I was curious to
5:41know how you met her .
5:44So , she was lucky enough to meet a
5:45young man named Samuel , who is a friend
5:47of mine ,
5:48over in Ceará .
5:49And they're getting married . Yes ,
5:50they're getting married .
5:51Oh , he's from
5:52there . He's from there . And then he
5:54called me , texted me , I don't remember .
5:57He said : " Hey , listen , I'm marrying an
5:59artist and my dream is to see you two
6:01working together . To unite love and
6:04friendship . " I'm
6:06going , yeah , I'm going . So , I said : "
6:08Hey , send me her portfolio , let me see
6:10if this love is sincere , right ? "
6:12Because , usually the groom speaks too
6:14highly of the bride , right ?
6:15He's in love , of
6:17course . And I looked at her work and
6:19it's really very good . Then I said : "
6:21Samuel , let's talk , send me her contact
6:23information , we'll exchange ideas . " And
6:26so , my relationship with Lara was built
6:28during the process , which is also very
6:30interesting , right ? And we got to know
6:33each other during the hardships , right ?
6:35Well , the rush , the exhaustion , the
6:37stresses of the process , because making
6:39artistic furniture is very complex . The
6:43engineering aspect of furniture is much
6:45more difficult than commercial
6:46furniture . There are many pieces , many
6:50details , and everything is handmade .
6:53There wasn't a robot , there wasn't AI ,
6:56there wasn't anything there that wasn't
6:58human beings welding , cutting wood ,
7:00sanding plaster , sculpting , painting ,
7:02and so on . And this concept , you're
7:07talking about here to understand , to
7:09explain to those listening , especially
7:11on Spotify , which doesn't have an image
7:13of the armchair , but for those on
7:19YouTube , we'll put a picture of the
7:20armchair there later .
7:22But for those who aren't listening , who
7:24won't be able to see it right now ,
7:26explain this concept to us , right ?
7:29Because there's an idea , as you
7:31mentioned , of the perspective of
7:33someone arriving in our state , like
7:35Lara , and your perspective from here ,
7:36from someone who lives here , at least
7:38in the city , right , in the capital Boa
7:40Vista , as you said , this perspective
7:43of a resident here in Roraima . We have
7:46our view of the Rio Branco here in the
7:48center , we have a beautiful sunset , in
7:50short , we still have this close contact
7:53with nature . Uh-huh . And Lara from
7:55Ceará , right , who also has , well , a
7:57lot of contact with nature and also
7:59with the sea , but it's a different
8:01approach and everything else . Uh-huh .
8:03What is this idea , right , this concept
8:08of the furniture itself , of the design ,
8:11right , let's say , of the work ,
8:13with the idea of what you want to
8:14convey ?
8:16So , the furniture in question is called
8:18the " Forest Chair . " This furniture was
8:21inspired by a piece of furniture that
8:23I'm going to launch abroad , called the
8:25" Forest Chair . " In Brazil I call it the
8:27" Forest Chair , " but in English it's the
8:29" Forest Chair . " The Force Chair has
8:32exactly the same dimensions , but
8:33aesthetically it's quite different from
8:35the Leite de Proa armchair . But the
8:40metal structure has the same dimensions
8:42. So , being triangular , it strongly
8:45resembles a boat ,
8:47the bow of a boat , right ? Exactly . The
8:49front part of the boat . And the coolest
8:54thing about this project is that we
8:55built an object that , if you look at it
8:57from the front , you see the front of a
8:59boat , but if you look at the back of
9:00the armchair , you also see the front of
9:02a boat . So it's a bow from both sides ,
9:07in its own way , in its own aesthetic
9:09and everything else . I also tried to
9:13bring in my vision of Hororaima , which
9:15you mentioned , the two points of view ,
9:17for example . The back part is sculpted
9:23and strongly resembles a work I have
9:25called Reflection of Shadows , which is
9:27the Sand of the Rio Branco , represented
9:29in wood . So , I brought to my
9:33imagination references from Hororaima ,
9:35but also references from within my
9:37portfolio , from within my work . Lara
9:42came with a very pure perspective
9:44regarding her expectations of what
9:46Hororaima is . She simply arrived , and I
9:50showed her what I could . On the first
9:52day , I already put her in the car . " Oh ,
9:54let's go there , let's go to the beach . "
9:56One day Kurupira was full , so we
9:58couldn't go . But let's go to Polar
10:00beach . I drove her around the city , but
10:03also the outlying areas , so she could
10:05see the nature , and she felt that it's
10:07different . The savanna is a very
10:10different biome from what you find in
10:12the Northeast . So she went there on her
10:17own , and obviously through my influence
10:19, right ? I present the reference , and
10:22she absorbs it in whatever way she
10:24wants . So it was kind of like that ; she
10:26captured the essence in her own way .
10:29And that's what I wanted . I really
10:31wanted it to be like that , a 50/50
10:33participation . You make your own
10:35reference , you are free to create . And
10:38I am free to create based on my
10:39references . The two of them will work
10:41out well because we already had things
10:43in common . For example , I really like
10:45Art Deco and Art Nouveau , which are
10:47aesthetic styles from the beginning of
10:49the last century . She also really likes
10:51Art Nouveau , especially since she
10:53paints in Art Nouveau style , so I
10:55already knew it would work . I knew her
10:57language would mesh with mine and the
10:59arguments would match . So , it was a
11:04creative dynamic , because every
11:06creative process has to have that , it
11:08has to have these almost playful
11:10interactions to stimulate creative
11:11things , which worked out really well ,
11:13because you have the freedom to create
11:15and obviously we have interventions or
11:17suggestions , right ? Look , you could do
11:22it this way , that way , but in general
11:23it was pretty much that , her vision of
11:25Roráia and my vision . Now , if you ask
11:28me , in fact , if I ask you where it ends
11:30in the work , if you look at the work ,
11:32where my vision ends and hers begins ,
11:34you won't know where ,
11:37because they clicked so well . Obviously
11:39, yes , right ? Because everyone did
11:42their part , sometimes we did it in
11:44pairs , and so on , but what I mean is
11:46that the aesthetic became so
11:47homogeneous that you can't tell , it
11:49blended so much that you don't know who
11:51did what there or who participated in
11:53what idea , right ? That's really cool ,
11:56that's really great . The objective , one
11:58of my main objectives was that . I
12:00didn't want a mosaic , like , this part
12:02is mine , this part is yours , right ? I
12:05wanted it to be a single work , a single
12:07message . And it conveyed the message ,
12:09that it really merged , right ?
12:11Totally . Yes , totally .
12:13Just like the action of what you guys
12:15do there , since you work a lot with
12:17metalwork too , right ? With the
12:20production of iron , steel , right ? So ,
12:24merging is really part of the process ,
12:26right ?
12:26Without a doubt . And the coolest , most
12:28beautiful thing about the story is this
12:30: the steel hardly appears in the work ,
12:33because the steel is what sustains the
12:35whole project , it's backstage . So , what
12:38stands out most in the work is the
12:40tapestry , which is a blue velvet , and
12:42the plasterwork , which , my God , is what
12:44draws the most attention , because
12:46imagine a piece of plaster furniture ,
12:48this thing isn't going to break , it
12:50raises questions , right ? And the carved
12:53wood . I also work with wood , but my
12:56forte is steel , right ? So , my strong
12:59representation is hidden behind the
13:01other pieces , right ? But anyway , I
13:04think it's beautiful , I think it
13:06brings a delicacy to the whole concept
13:08in the story , right ? The steel is what
13:10sustains it , right ? We can even reflect
13:12on life here , right ? No.
13:14Yes , yes .
13:15The steel that sustains it and all the
13:17plasterwork , the wood there with the
13:18decoration , with the finishing around
13:20it .
13:20I even joke like this , look . I'm a more
13:23rustic guy , I don't have many , you know
13:25, many half-measures , sometimes in
13:27situations of objectivity . Lara is very
13:31delicate , she's a blue-eyed princess ,
13:34you know ? She's very ... well , isn't she ?
13:36And so , that's it , the plaster is her ,
13:39you know ? I'm the metal , I'm the steel ,
13:41the rustic wood . And there's a lot of
13:43that , the representation of our
13:45personality in the materials . That's
13:47really , really cool , isn't
13:48it ? And you can make several analogies
13:50with life , even here . I've already
13:52created several ideas to write
13:53something cool there .
13:54Yes . So , art is like that . Art is like
13:57that , I have my story to tell , which is
13:59what I built to make that piece of
14:01furniture , but from there it's ready .
14:04Build your story on top of it , your
14:05interpretation . Exactly . There's no
14:08right or wrong . Art is that , it's the
14:11contemplation and absorption of what
14:13you think is the true story , right ?
14:16Your truth , right ?
14:17And it's an art you can sit on , as you
14:19said , right ? So that's really cool and
14:22it's very comfortable . It's very
14:26comfortable because the biggest mistake
14:28with artistic furniture is when it's
14:30beautiful and when you use it , oh no .
14:34No , no .
14:36I tried out a piece of furniture like
14:37that at the SPA in São Paulo . It's a
14:41piece of furniture carved from a single
14:43precious stone called amazonite . It's a
14:47gorgeous turquoise green . The guy made
14:51a small , low armchair , beautiful , a
14:53beautiful design . I spent about 10
14:55minutes taking pictures . And then I
14:58went up to the woman who was managing
15:00the exhibition and said , " May I sit
15:02down ? " Why did I even ask ? Because she
15:05said I could . When I sat down , man , I
15:08felt so uncomfortable , and I thought ,
15:10because I work with product design , I
15:12know what's right and wrong . I thought ,
15:16" Wow , if there was just a little more
15:18curve here ... " And then I thought , " I
15:19shouldn't have asked to sit down
15:21because it took away some of the charm .
15:22" It
15:23had remained only in my imagination . It
15:25had remained imaginary that it was as
15:27perfect , as comfortable , as it was
15:28aesthetically perfect . So you have to
15:30be careful . There's no way around it .
15:32When you make furniture , you have to
15:34have that concern .
15:35And in this process of building this
15:37furniture , what were the biggest
15:38technical challenges ? We're here , we
15:42always point out that we're in a state
15:44in the far north of the country , we
15:46have a lot of resources , especially for
15:49the artistic world , which is very
15:50specific , right ? There's the difficulty
15:54of getting materials , so whatever is
15:56needed to build artistic works ,
15:58especially now this first piece of
16:00artistic furniture in our state . Uh-huh
16:03. No , the difficulty is in getting
16:06screws . We don't have screws in Roraima
16:09for certain things , certain functions .
16:13And it's such a basic thing , right ?
16:15Screws hold everything together , this
16:16television , this table , and so on . We
16:19felt a lot of difficulty . Labor is
16:21difficult because you can't do
16:22everything alone . You have to have a
16:25team , right ?
16:26You have to outsource some activities ,
16:28right ?
16:28Of course , you have to , even because of
16:30the deadline , because what happens ?
16:32Lara came with a specific day to go and
16:34a specific day to return , so we had a
16:36deadline to produce , so we had to have
16:38more people around . We were lucky to
16:41have Jamil , who is an exceptional guy ,
16:43I have nothing but praise for him . He
16:46truly is an artist . He's a craftsman ,
16:49but he's gone beyond the level of
16:51craftsman to become an artist , and he's
16:53a very willing person . We know that
16:56finding skilled labor here in Roraima
16:58is complicated , especially in terms of
17:00the willingness of someone to buy into
17:02your idea and say , " No , let's stay a
17:03little longer , let's stay a few more
17:05hours here to work this out , etc. " So ,
17:07there are always difficulties , but I
17:09expected that . Maybe Lara didn't expect
17:11it because she came from a large center
17:13, right ? She came from the Brazil we
17:16joke about , right ? Well , for me , I'm
17:18already very used to working with
17:20little , with scarcity , scarcity of
17:22money , scarcity of time , scarcity of
17:24materials , I'm super used to it . So , we
17:30adapt and build this furniture in the
17:32most efficient way possible , always
17:34prioritizing quality , functionality ,
17:36and durability as well . So , ideally ,
17:41you have a specific type of screw , but
17:43if you don't , you improvise , you use a
17:45different type of screw or a different
17:48type of fastener . For me , this is no
17:53longer an obstacle , because it's so
17:55normal for someone from Roraima , in
17:57general . If you talk to any
18:00professional who works in architecture ,
18:02engineering , or machining , they'll have
18:04the same difficulties . So , we're kind
18:08of used to it . I believe that the day
18:10I'm living in a big city and I have
18:12everything at hand , I'll find it very
18:14strange , because I won't have it
18:15anymore . It's too easy , isn't it ?
18:18Something's wrong here . How can
18:20everything be here ? Everything I want
18:21is here . How can I not have to invent
18:23something ? Many times we have to invent
18:25the part because it doesn't exist in
18:27the local market . So this is also part
18:31of preparing professionals for large
18:33markets . When you arrive in a market
18:38like São Paulo , Miami , New York , any
18:40major center in Europe , with that
18:42Brazilian expertise of
18:45finding a
18:47way to make things work , of knowing how
18:49to create solutions regardless of the
18:50problem , you already stand out . So , on
18:52one hand , I think that's great .
18:56Obviously , you spend a lot of time , a
18:58lot of brainpower , stress and all that ,
19:00but it's a diversity that's cool . It's
19:03great . And so , it was a great challenge
19:06to do this in the Amazon , because , for
19:08example , I'll give you a basic example
19:09that I didn't know . Wood , which I knew
19:13in part , wood is alive even after it's
19:15dead . It works . If you cut the wood
19:20straight at 8 pm , when 8 am arrives ,
19:22it's crooked , it moves . And I was like :
19:26" My God , how can that not be ? " And then
19:29Jamil would tell me : " Man , Amazon ,
19:31humidity , temperature , the wood works . "
19:35So , we also have the adversities of the
19:37environment that interfere with the
19:39project . So , how many times did we have
19:42to adapt things because they moved ? The
19:45armchair was practically alive during
19:47the process , you know ? So that's part
19:49of it , the difficulties we face in the
19:51Amazon . For sure , if we made this same
19:53armchair in São Paulo , it would be
19:55faster to make . I have no doubt about
19:57it . We would do it in half the time
19:58because they have everything there . I
20:01don't know if the result would be as
20:03good , because many of the ideas we had
20:04for the armchair came from the first
20:06ones that didn't work , so we changed
20:08ideas . So it's part of it , it's part of
20:10it . The hardships are also part of the
20:12final process . And speaking of this
20:17peculiarity of wood , which is a living
20:19thing , a tree , and well , anyone who is
20:21a biologist and works in the forest
20:23area will really understand . But how do
20:31you guarantee , how do you be sure that
20:33it's a durable product , a piece of
20:35furniture that , besides its beauty and
20:37aesthetics , will also be functional ? No
20:42, exactly , everyone's sitting on it all
20:44the time , right ? Because it's also an
20:46art form , but how do you guarantee its
20:48durability , as you said ?
20:50So , our biggest concern in this project
20:53is the plaster . Plaster is the most
20:55fragile material , even more so than
20:57wood and metal . It's the weakest point
20:59of the structure . But we built it in a
21:01way that made it much stronger than any
21:03other plaster . So , among the materials ,
21:06it's the most fragile , but it has its
21:09resistance . When this furniture is sold
21:13, the buyer receives assembly
21:15instructions , which has this detail I
21:17forgot to mention . This furniture is
21:21demountable .
21:22Why ? Because it's not solid . Well , we
21:27can get to that later . Then you can ask
21:30me why this furniture is demountable ,
21:32otherwise I'll lose my train of thought
21:34. So , when the person receives the
21:37furniture , they receive an assembly
21:39manual , an instruction manual for use
21:41and maintenance , because it needs
21:42maintenance . The wood , for example ,
21:47wasn't sealed or varnished ; it received
21:49a natural oil treatment . In other words
21:54, the material used on the wood is
21:56biodegradable , meaning that every three
21:58years it needs to be reapplied with the
22:00oil . So , maintenance is necessary . But
22:05what's the positive aspect of this ?
22:07It's a biodegradable material , it
22:08doesn't harm the environment , and the
22:10wood retains its natural state . It
22:13doesn't look artificially natural . The
22:16same goes for plaster . Plaster requires
22:19a coat of white paint at certain times ,
22:21like the plaster we have at home , on
22:23the ceilings , right ? For those who have
22:25plaster at home . So , maintenance is
22:28necessary , just like with any work of
22:30art . The issue with furniture is that
22:34it has predetermined maintenance
22:36periods , and the owner , when buying
22:37this furniture that's for sale — it's
22:39worth highlighting — will receive these
22:41instructions , right ? And this guarantee
22:46from the artists as well . If there's
22:48any kind of problem , this furniture can
22:50be restored , maintained , and so on . The
22:54care given to artistic furniture is
22:56much greater than for furniture you buy
22:58in a regular store , right ? It's even
23:02monitored by the artists themselves ,
23:03because it's in the artist's interest
23:05that the physical integrity of this
23:07furniture is maintained forever ,
23:08because it's our name that's on it . So ,
23:12there's a lot of care involved . It's
23:14very resistant furniture . Just to
23:16answer your question objectively now ,
23:18it's resistant furniture , okay ? Uh , but
23:22you need to take certain precautions so
23:24you don't damage it . For example ,
23:27spilling water on the plaster will ruin
23:29it , right ? Just like if you keep
23:32spilling water on a fabric or wooden
23:34armchair , it will also ruin it . So , the
23:37precautions are the same , right ? But
23:40they are very specific , and we pass
23:41this on to the client .
23:43Speaking of which , before going in ,
23:45because the chair , or rather , the
23:46armchair , right ? The chair is from last
23:49year , was it last year , right ? Or was
23:51it this year ? Oh , the exhibition was
23:53last year , December of last year .
23:55Yes . It was . Uh , Alba Milhão , we were
23:57here with him , we talked about the
23:59chair , which at the time was a chair ,
24:01right ?
24:01It's a cricket chair , right ?
24:03It was , well , it was quite beautiful
24:05too . And then there were other
24:07exhibitions , anyway , we talked a lot
24:08and now a year later he's talking about
24:10an armchair and I remember the chair
24:12and I keep saying chair , right ?
24:14No , but it's force of habit . Yes . Oh ,
24:16but did you know that most people call
24:18an armchair a chair ? Because it's habit
24:20, right ? To sit where you sit .
24:21Yes , but it's because an armchair is a
24:23piece of furniture , it's a piece of
24:24furniture where you rest more . A chair
24:26can be used for work , it can be used
24:28for conversation and so on . An armchair
24:31already has an aspect of rest , right ?
24:34So much so that the armchair is usually
24:36accompanied by a stool that we will
24:37produce in the future . A stool is a
24:39piece of furniture like a small stool
24:41without a backrest that sits in front
24:43of the armchair so you can stretch your
24:45legs . Yes ,
24:46basically that . She asks for the
24:48armchair , she asks for this extra piece
24:50of furniture , right ?
24:53An addition .
24:53Exactly .
24:54Uh , anyway , in the sense of talking
24:56about this , right ? We're talking about
24:59the sale , uh , this work , how it works .
25:02You even mentioned before we started ,
25:04behind the
25:06scenes of the interview , that there are
25:08behind-the-scenes aspects to the life
25:09of an artist and the production of
25:11these works , how does this art market
25:13really work
25:15here for you , especially in your area ?
25:17Yes . It's complicated to talk about the
25:20art market in Hororaima , because there
25:21isn't an art market in Hororaima . It's
25:24always very controversial every time I
25:26say this , but I'll explain and
25:28contextualize it for you , for you all
25:30as well . What is an art market ? It's an
25:33individual who makes and sells , or
25:35rather , an individual who sells and an
25:37individual who buys , right ? The
25:39individual who sells isn't necessarily
25:41the artist , it could be a gallery , it
25:43could be a shopkeeper , right ? And the
25:45individual who buys isn't necessarily
25:47someone who likes art . It could be
25:49someone who wants to deduct it from
25:50their income tax or wants to make a
25:52donation , an auction , something like
25:54that , right ? So , here in Roraima we
25:57have artists , and great artists , some
25:59have already passed away , right ?
26:03Jaesbel , Cardoso , big names . When we
26:06say great , it's not because they're big
26:08in Roraima , no . It's because they're
26:10big in the world . In Roraima they are
26:13often unknown , right ? You , for example ,
26:16Jaesbel , you have highly sought-after
26:17works , the Museum of Modern Art in New
26:19York is desperate to have a work by
26:21Jaesbel and can't get one . The Museum
26:23of Modern Art in New York , right ? Uh ,
26:26so , they are big artists abroad . If you
26:29go to any gallery in the world and say
26:31Jaesbel , they know who he is . If you
26:35say Monet , they'll know the same , and
26:37Vanog , same thing . So , it's at that
26:40level . We have artists , but we don't
26:42have anyone to sell them . So , we don't
26:45have art galleries , we don't have the
26:47retailers who could sell art , they
26:49don't sell art . Well , if you don't have
26:52a way to offer the product , it's
26:53difficult to sell . But you have buyers ,
26:56let's evaluate who buys . I base my
26:58understanding of art buying on three
27:00pillars , okay ? Purchasing power ,
27:04culture , right ? And formal and family
27:08education . What is formal and family
27:10education ? Formal education is school ,
27:12college ; family education is when
27:14parents teach a child not to litter , to
27:16respect others . That's family education
27:19. Cultural education is when a person
27:22likes culture , likes music , likes
27:23exhibitions , likes theater , and so on .
27:26And purchasing power — sometimes people
27:27think you have to be a millionaire to
27:29buy art , but there's cheaper art . You
27:31can buy a painting for R $ 100 and find
27:34paintings for R $ 100,000 . So , there's
27:36something for every budget , right ? Just
27:38like there are bicycles , there are
27:39bicycles for , I don't know , I'm out of
27:41the bike business , it's been years
27:42since I've ridden a bicycle ,
27:43but there are bicycles for , I don't
27:45know , R $ 500 and there are , I've even
27:47seen bicycles for R $ 100,000 , you know
27:49? Which are sold here in Horim , by the
27:51way . So , there's something for every
27:53budget , there are three pillars .
27:56Eventually , one of these pillars might
27:58shift , right ? Eventually , but in
28:01general , let's say that those who buy
28:03art have these characteristics . So ,
28:05what happens ? If we have a population
28:08that lacks culture , that is , that
28:10doesn't have the habit of traveling to
28:12exhibitions , to theaters , to museums ,
28:14that doesn't make a point of going , or
28:16that doesn't have works of art at home ,
28:18or that didn't receive an education
28:20from their parents and didn't seek
28:21education either , because , for example :
28:23my parents didn't teach me to
28:25appreciate art . My father was a
28:28technician , my mother only went to the
28:30eighth grade , she went to college later
28:32in life , right ? So , uh , I wasn't taught
28:35to appreciate art ; I sought out art .
28:38Therefore , if you have a population
28:40that doesn't have that profile , that
28:42lacks purchasing power , culture , or
28:46education , and you don't have places
28:48that sell art , there's no art market .
28:52That's why I hold this controversial
28:56opinion , so to speak . And how do
28:58artists support themselves ? That's the
29:01question . Look , eventually you have
29:03business in Roraima , but much more
29:04likely you have business outside of
29:06here . The artist is from Roraima , they
29:11are very well regarded outside and very
29:13little seen here in Roraima . So , uh , we
29:18end up doing business outside the state
29:20, outside the country . And here ,
29:24eventually a company buys a work or
29:26some collector , and generally they are
29:28people from outside . More interestingly
29:31, I was going to do one ,
29:32your clients are from outside ,
29:33they are from outside . And the most
29:36interesting thing , those who bought art
29:38here — something I observed the other
29:40day — everyone who bought art here in
29:42Roraima , either their mother or father
29:44liked art .
29:47How cool . They all had a reference
29:49point at home , people who appreciated
29:50art .
29:52Impressive . Impressive . They all had a
29:55reference point , and they were people
29:57who just liked art , they weren't
29:58collectors , right ? There was one case
30:03who had a degree in Fine Arts , and all
30:05that , but anyway , I have this reference
30:07point . So , unfortunately , here in
30:09Roraima , we're quite behind in this
30:11sense , the population is quite behind
30:13in this sense . We lose artists , there's
30:16this exodus , and then we get into the
30:18issue of the collapsible armchair . Why
30:20is the armchair collapsible ? Why ?
30:24Because we built it knowing that it
30:26couldn't stay here , unfortunately , that
30:28it's a very profitable armchair outside
30:30of here , and that here , unfortunately ,
30:32it's not profitable , unfortunately . I
30:35hope that whoever listens will buy it ,
30:37of course , and that it will stay here
30:39in Roraima ,
30:40but it's
30:41more likely that it will go abroad . So ,
30:45we needed to create a project where it
30:47would be demountable , that it could be
30:49placed in a container , in a box , and
30:51could be exported , either abroad or
30:52sent to another state in Brazil .
30:57Anticipating this issue , I've been in
30:59the Roraima market for 5 years , right ?
31:02And throughout these 5 years , I've
31:04developed several marketing strategies
31:06to insert art into the market , to sell
31:07art to the people of Roraima , because I
31:09want to sell art to the people of
31:11Roraima . But unfortunately , the market ,
31:13the people of Roraima , are not prepared
31:15to buy art , unfortunately . Generally
31:18speaking , okay ? I'm not talking about
31:20exceptions . An exception is an
31:21exception . Generally speaking , 99 % of
31:23the population is not prepared . 1 % of
31:26the population is equivalent to what ?
31:28That's 700,000 inhabitants . 7,000
31:30people . Are there really 7,000 people
31:32from Horaima who buy art in Horaima ? Do
31:35they collect art ? I don't think so . So ,
31:37less than 1 % of the population is able
31:39to consume art , right ? We still have a
31:43lot to fight for . I'm not going to give
31:45up on Horaima . I'm migrating to other
31:47frontiers , but I'm not giving up on
31:49this place . This is my place . But I
31:54intend to build my legacy outside the
31:56country , for example , which is also the
31:58case . But I don't want to give up on
32:01Roraima . We're going to do more
32:02exhibitions soon . I want to build
32:05historical monuments , I'm crazy about
32:07building historical monuments , but only
32:09in this way , in the long term , in 30
32:11years , can we change the population .
32:13You have to plant first , right ? Yes ,
32:16it's a slow planting , you know ? It's a
32:18slow tree that you have to plant and
32:19you can't just wait for it to grow , you
32:21have to harvest in other places . You
32:24put the seed here and you go and plant
32:26it in other places too . And that's how
32:27the market works .
32:29Plant one here and harvest mangoes
32:30somewhere else . That's it . It's a tree
32:33that takes forever to grow . That's it .
32:35And it's leafy and beautiful . Yes . Yes .
32:38But the mango tree is also faster .
32:39There's a cashew tree that flowers and
32:41bears fruit faster . So you harvest a
32:42cashew tree in the Northeast , right ?
32:44Exactly . It's all a matter of strategy .
32:46The artist doesn't need to be stuck in
32:47their own land . But it's very , I think
32:49it's very beautiful when the artist is
32:51valued in their own place . I think
32:53that's beautiful before it succeeds in
32:55other places , right ? And , but I think
32:57you already have good admirers here .
32:59Yes . No , no , no , folks . Yes , it's the
33:02exception , not the rule , okay ? The
33:04exception isn't the rule ,
33:05there are exceptions ,
33:07there are . I'm talking about the rule ,
33:08please , for God's sake .
33:10And speaking of that , how does it work
33:12too ? Uh , you don't need to reveal all
33:15your business secrets here either ,
33:16right ? But how do you expand beyond the
33:21territory of Roraima , beyond the
33:22exhibitions you've already done here ?
33:27Alba Momen even had an exhibition at
33:29Mirante , which was also beautiful . I
33:31went to see it . Yes , it was great .
33:33And it was great because he accompanied
33:34me , explained every detail of each work
33:36there . It was really cool ,
33:37fantastic .
33:40So , in this process of first
33:41establishing yourself in the state ,
33:43doing your exhibitions here , how do you
33:45expand your business , your art , what do
33:48you do as an artist outside of it ? Is
33:51it through sheer grit , through struggle
33:53? How does it work more or less ? Well ,
33:55first , and it's worth noting that I
33:57work in two areas , right ? Furniture is
34:00one thing and art is another . The
34:02market is different , right ? They
34:05inhabit the same environment , the same
34:07rooms , so to speak . You have furniture ,
34:10you have paintings on the wall , but the
34:12market , the business , is distinct . So ,
34:15I work in two areas . The two fronts are
34:19different . The furniture part is a
34:23commercial product , like almost any
34:25high-value item . Art is more
34:29complicated . The subjectivity makes you
34:32work harder to get there . Because
34:39there's a bubble , you know , in the art
34:40market , and it takes time to penetrate
34:42that bubble , but once you're in , you're
34:44in the big galleries , the big
34:46exhibitions , you're in museums , and
34:48then it's success . That's where
34:53Jidesbel is today , he's in the best
34:54galleries in the world . So , what
34:59happens is this : work is like planting ,
35:01right ? You plant little by little , you
35:06share your portfolio , you apply for
35:08grants . When I say grants , I'm not
35:14talking about incentive laws ,
35:15exhibition grants , okay ? Exhibition
35:20halls ,
35:21galleries .
35:23What are galleries ? A gallery is a shop
35:25that sells art . An art gallery is a
35:28store that sells art . Basically , that's
35:30it . For a gallery owner to let you in ,
35:32they usually want to represent you . To
35:35represent you is like , I'll use an
35:37analogy to make it easy for everyone to
35:39understand . Imagine a clothing store ,
35:43right ? You're a multi-brand store , you
35:48have several brands , it's not a
35:49franchise , but you have the brands and
35:51you want to represent them here in Boa
35:53Vista and you don't want any other
35:55store owner selling jeans X. So , a
35:57gallery is more or less like that .
35:59Usually , they take on the
36:01representation . Getting into a gallery
36:04is very difficult because there are
36:06dozens and dozens of artists wanting to
36:08enter galleries , and the galleries
36:09choose who they want . So , today in
36:15Brazil , I don't remember the exact
36:17numbers , but just to give you an idea ,
36:19uh , uh , in Manhattan , on the island of
36:21Manhattan in New York , there are 400
36:23galleries . That's more than there are
36:29in all of Latin America , excluding
36:30Brazil . Brazil has , I don't remember
36:33the number , I think around 2,000
36:35galleries . I even question that number ;
36:37I think it's too high , but let's say
36:39there are the same number of galleries
36:41as there are in Manhattan . For example ,
36:43300 galleries . Imagine how many artists
36:47there are in Brazil for 300 or 400
36:49galleries . So it's a very big
36:51competition . So , for an artist to get
36:53into a gallery , and after they're in
36:55the gallery , they're at big events ,
36:57then they get into a museum , that's a
36:59work of 10 , 20 , 30 years . It's a slow
37:01and progressive work , right ? And we
37:04keep planting seeds , sending portfolios
37:06, talking to curators , negotiating
37:08exhibitions and everything else .
37:10Nowadays it's easier to be an artist
37:12than before , because today you film
37:14everything , take photos , and you have
37:16that saved to show someone . So , all my
37:18exhibitions have documentaries , all my
37:20appearances are recorded , I
37:22have a digital archive , right ?
37:24So , exactly , I have a portfolio , I have
37:26a website , I have a whole digital
37:27apparatus . So , this arsenal , let's say ,
37:32of sales , helps me sell myself outside
37:34of here . So , we build relationships ,
37:38get to know curators , directors of
37:40Biennales , and you build it little by
37:42little . In the furniture business , it's
37:44different . With furniture , you go
37:47directly to retailers , to store
37:49curators , and you achieve a much faster
37:51relationship . So , that's why I think
37:56I'll hardly ever leave these two areas ,
37:58because I can't live without art , but
38:00furniture appeals to me because I like
38:02to use the things I make . And furniture
38:06gives you a very good return because
38:08it's faster , that is , you can get there
38:10faster than with works of art , in the
38:12commercial market itself .
38:14Exactly . But after you get , for example
38:17, to a museum , an art gallery ,
38:18something like that , with works of art ,
38:21you're immortalized , literally . You'll
38:24die , 100 years will pass , your work
38:26will be there being seen by millions of
38:28people , you understand ? And your name
38:30will go down in history . So it's a slow
38:32process , it takes time . And being here
38:35in Roraima , it's a little more
38:36difficult . So we're outlining these
38:41strategies , using digital technology to
38:43our advantage to be able to connect
38:45with these key people in this complex
38:46and subjective market that is the art
38:48market .
38:52Your mind never stops , right ? It's like
38:54drinking
38:55chimarrão all the time , and our
38:57chimarrão gives you energy , but at the
39:00same time , it balances you out , doesn't
39:02it ? It gives you good energy . Mate
39:04helps .
39:05And now , talking a little about this
39:07history , right ? I interviewed you last
39:11year , a year ago already . And what
39:14happened this year ? What
39:16transformations has occurred in Milhoem
39:18from last year to this year , and what
39:20are his perspectives for next year ? I
39:24already know you're going to travel ,
39:26you said you're going to have an
39:27exhibition , and you're also going to
39:29launch this armchair in New York , as
39:31you mentioned . No , so here's the thing ,
39:33uh , let's take it one step at a time . A
39:35lot happened this year . Let's take it
39:37one step
39:38at a time .
39:38This year was a year of revelation for
39:40me , actually , right ? The exhibitions
39:44were a success , I think a little over
39:4610,000 people attended the two
39:47exhibitions I did last year .
39:50And remember that the works you create
39:52are exhibited and for sale too , right ?
39:54All for sale . Yes . Yes .
39:56They sold quite a lot , I managed to
39:57sell them .
39:57So , what happened was this : I got
39:59commissions .
39:59Hmm . That's
40:00very good . I like commissions because
40:02the person sees your entire portfolio
40:04and says : " I want something just for me
40:05, made for me . " Something
40:06that nobody has ever even seen before ,
40:08right ?
40:08Exactly . Exactly . Something super
40:11exclusive , you know . Uh , exhibitions
40:13here in Roraima , it's like this , I do
40:16them for promotion , okay ? For sales ,
40:18okay ? But selling isn't my main goal ,
40:22because the works have a somewhat high
40:23average price , and I know the public is
40:25a bit resistant because they're
40:27cultural , as we've already discussed .
40:29So , selling isn't a priority , but of
40:31course , if it happens , it's always
40:33great . But the exhibition is important .
40:37Why ? Because it builds your portfolio ,
40:40it gives you exposure , it strengthens
40:42your career . When it's a solo
40:45exhibition , it's even more so , right ?
40:48So , this year was a year of revelation .
40:52After the exhibitions , I reflected on
40:53what happened and decided to explore
40:55other markets . I left Roraima , went to
40:59the South , to the Mercosur Biennial and
41:01the SPR . The SPR is the largest art
41:04fair in Latin America . The biggest
41:06galleries in Brazil are there . It's one
41:10of the biggest events on the art
41:11calendar . And I came here to the Amazon
41:15Biennial in Manaus to explore , and also
41:17to visit galleries in the places I went
41:20. So , I went to art fairs , biennials ,
41:23and galleries to try to understand what
41:26I was doing , what direction I was
41:27taking . My works are considered high
41:31quality . I kept wondering , are they
41:35really good or is it just something
41:36people think , like ,
41:39a bubble , you know ?
41:40It's like , " Wow , that's great , your
41:42works are really good , " and so on . But
41:44are they really ? It didn't compare to
41:45what's out there . Well , the conclusion
41:48was this : the quality of my work is
41:50equivalent to what's found abroad .
41:53Period . This wasn't just my observation
41:57; through conversations , presenting
41:59portfolios to gallery owners and
42:01curators , I saw that my work is on par
42:03with artists who have been in the
42:04market for 20 years . I've only been in
42:08the market for 5 years . So , I came back
42:12very happy to know that my work is also
42:14unlike anything else out there . So , my
42:19work has an identity . I confess , I was
42:22very afraid of arriving at the place
42:24and saying , " Wow , this looks like what
42:26I've done , doesn't it ? " I was very
42:27apprehensive about finding that , and
42:29there's nothing wrong with that , right ?
42:31But I had this apprehension , and I
42:33didn't identify any artist or any work
42:35that was similar to what I do .
42:37The reference in the artist is
42:38completely different .
42:39I don't know . I don't know why , and
42:42there's something else , words from a
42:44curator here at the Amazon Biennial .
42:46She said : " Look , I know the main
42:48artists from the northern region . None
42:53of them talk about the Amazon like you
42:55do , with sophistication , with this
42:57industrial aesthetic , none of them .
43:01They don't have your identity , it's
43:03unique here in the Amazon . And when you
43:05talk about the Amazon , it's already
43:07unique , right ? Because the Amazon is
43:08exotic , right ? So , I went looking for
43:10that , trying to figure out what I was .
43:13And then I came back knowing I was on
43:15the right track and started to plan the
43:17next steps , right ? It's been two and a
43:20half years since I started developing a
43:21piece of furniture called Polotona da
43:23Floresta . And this year I decided to
43:26finish it with the intention of
43:28launching it . I hesitated to launch it
43:31here in Roraima , I gave up on launching
43:33it here in Roraima and preferred to
43:35launch it abroad . Designer furniture ,
43:37the market is much better received
43:39there . And I'm going to say that's
43:40the commercial you mentioned . Exactly .
43:43Exactly . It's a piece of furniture
43:47where the seat is made of buriti fiber ,
43:49woven by Venezuelan indigenous people
43:50from Etinel . I used a product they
43:57already have and incorporated it into
43:58my project , that is , I didn't interfere
44:00with the originality of the product
44:02they make . I adapted my product to them
44:06, to their product . So it's an
44:11Amazonian product made of steel , this
44:13buriti fiber , and Amazonian wood ,
44:15angelim ferro . So it's a hybrid of wood
44:19, metal , and straw . It's crazy ,
44:20something like that . I'm very
44:22curious now to see it ,
44:23man . It's very cool , it's very nice .
44:26The work is very original , there's
44:28nothing like it . And so , the
44:31international market is sensational .
44:33The American market represents 48 % of
44:36the world market .
44:37And besides that , there's a lot of
44:38value placed on products made in the
44:40Amazon . Thank goodness , right ?
44:42No. And there are a series of added
44:44values , because look , I'm encouraging
44:46indigenous commerce , right ? Because I
44:49buy directly from them . I don't buy
44:50from middlemen , I don't buy at the
44:54retail price they sell to anyone . I'm
44:57not paying less , I'm paying their fair
44:59price . I have a policy that for every
45:03armchair that's sold , I'm going to
45:05plant a buriti tree . Because what
45:07happens ? I really like buriti , I like
45:09to drink buriti . And at one point there
45:12was a shortage of buriti in the city ,
45:13and the seller told me that due to
45:15degradation , the buriti trees were
45:17being cut down from the banks of the
45:18streams . And the buriti isn't a planted
45:22tree . It grows there in the stream , it
45:25climbs . It's spontaneous . And then I
45:29thought , man , it's a chance to help
45:31nature in that sense too , right ? So ,
45:34for every armchair sold abroad , a tree
45:36will be planted . So I'm already
45:39encouraging environmental issues . So ,
45:42I'm bringing local benefits to a
45:44product that will be sold outside the
45:46country , right ? And that adds value to
45:52the product , because when foreigners
45:53see something from the Amazon and they
45:55see that it has history , they see that
45:57there's truth in it , that it was
45:58actually made by indigenous hands , that
46:00the money they put in will help plant a
46:02tree that's almost rare in our biome ,
46:04which is the buriti palm . So , a series
46:09of added values that make the work much
46:11more expensive . And there's another
46:14very important detail : this furniture
46:16is a limited edition . I'm only going to
46:18make 50 units . So , after those 50 , I'm
46:22going to make a new edition , but with a
46:24slightly different aesthetic and other
46:26characteristics . Yes , it will preserve
46:28the buriti wood , which I thought was
46:30sensational , but the aesthetic will
46:31change a little . So , whoever has one of
46:34these limited edition works , it's an
46:36artistic piece with certification ,
46:38authenticity , and so on . So you see the
46:41amount of added value that an object
46:42like this has when sold abroad . So I
46:46sincerely hope it's a success , because
46:48it's an innovative initiative , right ?
46:54And I also wanted to thank PX , the
46:56people at Sebrae who are also
46:57supporting me in this regard . Uh , the
47:04girls , Thaís and Veri , who gave a lot
47:06of support to this project , they bought
47:08into it , and saw the viability in
47:10making this connection . Today I have an
47:17office in Miami , thanks to PX , and
47:18thanks to this office I can do these
47:20businesses , I will be able to do these
47:22businesses within the United States .
47:26Yes , but art is business , right ?
47:29Nowadays I spend more time in the
47:30office than in the studio .
47:33Unfortunately , I wish I were working
47:35more . Yes ,
47:36but you already have a lot of work
47:38produced , right ?
47:38Yes . Yes , but nowadays , whether an
47:41artist or an entrepreneur , they have to
47:43be on the computer , exchanging ideas ,
47:46networking , sharing portfolios ,
47:48negotiating . And that's exactly it . And
47:52from now on , starting in December , the
47:54approach will be exactly that : trips
47:56abroad and the creation of very
47:58regionalist furniture . And there's
48:02another , more important detail : this
48:04furniture is the first Roraima-designed
48:06furniture to be sold abroad .
48:09Absolutely . In fact , you have that
48:12characteristic completely , man .
48:14Ettiness too ,
48:15man . No , total pioneering spirit . We ,
48:18honestly , are in a blue ocean because
48:20there's so much to be done in Roraima ,
48:22right ?
48:23Starting , right ? It's just beginning .
48:25Exactly . I was lucky enough to be born
48:28in '87 and I'm joining a generation
48:30that's starting to do culture in a more
48:32entrepreneurial way now , you know ? So ,
48:37I have a lot to explore , a lot of
48:39pioneering to do , and these milestones
48:41are important for my career , right ? And
48:45for the history of Roraima too , right ?
48:48Because there's a point I wanted you to
48:49comment on , and it's not the first time
48:51I've heard you say this . I read
48:54somewhere you talking about it , I don't
48:56remember anymore , but it was , in fact ,
48:58I don't know if it was in that , uh ,
49:00talking about the armchair , you ended
49:02up also commenting on , uh , the artistic
49:04monuments of the state that you intend
49:06to create ,
49:09as it's part of the history of the
49:11state , right ? Yes . Do
49:13you have any ideas about what
49:14historical monuments to produce for our
49:16state with your art ?
49:17I have ideas . I have two projects ,
49:20actually , several ideas . Every week I
49:22have a new idea . I'm driving and I say ,
49:24" Hey , this roundabout could be used
49:26for , I don't know , a cruviana , you know
49:28? Or some canoes , or whatever , various
49:31ideas . I have , I have an idea for , for ,
49:34for , it's not an idea , it's already a
49:37project , we're in negotiations . Uh , I
49:41have a monument that I want to make in
49:43homage to the immigrants from Rio
49:45Grande do Sul , which was a sculpture ,
49:47both already have sculptures , right , on
49:49a smaller scale , which I'm going to
49:51enlarge and make a larger sculpture ,
49:53you know , informative . It's
49:56like , translating for an architect , a
49:58model .
49:59Yeah , I don't like to use the term
50:00model , you know why ? Because it was
50:03born as a work of art and it will
50:04become a monument after being a work of
50:06art .
50:06Ah , yes . It's a miniature of a future
50:09monument as a work of art .
50:10Ah , no . That's the thing . Before being
50:13a miniature , it's the original . In fact
50:16, the monument that is maximized is the
50:18copy . Exactly . The copy is the Okay ,
50:22you understand ? That's why
50:24I don't use the term " model , " because
50:26we only use " model " when that term is
50:28correct , right ? It's only
50:29for architecture .
50:30No , no , for art too . Because , when you
50:33make a model , it's when you make a
50:34small object thinking about the larger
50:36one , but mine was the opposite . I made
50:39the small one and then I thought about
50:40making it big ,
50:41you understand ? But having a model is
50:43perfectly correct . That's right . So ,
50:47there's the monument to the gauchos ,
50:49which , man , is very beautiful , a very
50:51beautiful piece . I made a tribute to my
50:55father , actually , it's in his house ,
50:57and I want to make these , I really
50:59wanted to make these two monuments by
51:01next year . I have other ideas for
51:05monuments linked to indigenous legends ,
51:07indigenous legends and stories ,
51:09regional legends . I think Boa Vista is
51:15a beautiful city , perfect , clean , flat ,
51:18organized , and it's lacking monuments .
51:22That's all . And there are many places
51:24to put them . There are so many places
51:26in the city . So , if I were to do a poll
51:28, I think on Instagram , it would come
51:30up with , I don't know , about 10 really
51:32cool addresses that could be used to
51:33build a monument , you know ? What will
51:37be lacking is the interest of the
51:38public authorities ,
51:40because that's a whole
51:42other story .
51:44I have a point to consider because , for
51:46example , when I travel , when I
51:49go to visit another city , I always want
51:51to take a picture at the monument , I
51:53want to record it , I want to say that I
51:56was in this city , right ?
51:58And learn about its history too . Yes .
52:02This year I went to Ceará and I went
52:05to an island , actually , a village
52:07called Preo de Jerica .
52:11And walking around the village , you
52:13know ? Because in that region of
52:15Jericquara and Preado , I discovered
52:17this village this year , the streets are
52:19sandy , right ? Right by the sea . And
52:23then I saw the monument of the pioneer
52:25who arrived in the city , actually , the
52:27village , and gave the village its name .
52:30Anyway , it has an inscription there and
52:32a representation of his image .
52:33Yes .
52:34And I already wanted to take a picture ,
52:36right ? So , imagine when this monument ,
52:39besides being just a figurative
52:41portrait of the person or historical
52:42figure , has a history and an identity
52:44in the region , which is the case you're
52:46thinking of , right ? In the monument ,
52:52identifying with the region , with our
52:54city , with our state . That's really
52:56cool . It will certainly attract
52:59tourists , attract creative economy
53:01there , right ? Money from tourism
53:04circulating in our state . I think it
53:06has everything to succeed .
53:07No. And there's another very important
53:09thing . Your pioneering initiative
53:11generates a ripple effect . Other
53:15artists will see you doing it and will
53:17want to do it too . That's great . For
53:21example , the theater exhibition I did
53:23was the first exhibition with
53:25international standards of scopography ,
53:27lighting , scopographic planning , etc.
53:29It was the first in the history of the
53:31municipal theater . This year we've
53:35already had two exhibitions with the
53:37same quality standard , you know ? So , it
53:40only took one person to do it for
53:41others to see that it's possible . So ,
53:44another thing , there were two . There
53:47was a third that ... I thought it was so
53:49cute , there's an initiative from the
53:51city hall where they exhibit the
53:52students ' paintings .
53:54Oh , it was recent . Yes . I don't know if
53:57you noticed , they put lamps , lights on
53:59the paintings ,
54:01and that's characteristic of national
54:03and international exhibitions .
54:04Exactly . It's okay that they didn't put
54:06it up the right way , it doesn't matter .
54:08The important thing is that they were
54:10concerned with making it more beautiful
54:11, right ? More , right ? Oh , let's put up
54:14some lighting to , you know , to better
54:16project the paintings . So , the pioneer
54:19has this function , he breaks and it's
54:21breaking and uh , opening trenches with
54:23a machete . So , when you make a monument
54:27in the city , another artist will say : "
54:29Hey , it's possible to do it .
54:30I have an idea , I'm
54:32going to do it too . " " Man , in about 10
54:34years the city is full of monuments ,
54:36and it's like an open-air museum , you
54:38know ? That's really cool . That's how
54:40you see it , right ? No , I see it , man ,
54:42it's an entrepreneurial vision . I see
54:44it like that . Just so you have an idea ,
54:46what monuments do we have here in the
54:47city ? We have a gold prospector that
54:49was made in '69 , '73 . There are the
54:51pioneers .
54:51The pioneers in '94 . On top of the
54:54pioneer there's a monument , you know ?
54:56Oh , when you go up the stairs , yes .
54:59There's a monument hidden by a mango
55:00tree there that was made in the ' 90s . I
55:03used to play a lot in that little
55:05square when I was a kid . Well , it's
55:06hidden . But anyway , it's there . So ,
55:09what else do we remember ? There's not
55:10much . I think there's
55:12one , I don't even know if it's
55:13identified as a monument , which is the
55:15one from
55:16the military area , the aeronautics area
55:18, right , which is ... " The plane right
55:19there in front of the shopping mall . I
55:21don't know if it's
55:23considered an artistic monument , but we
55:25have one that's very important , by the
55:27most famous artist we have here , Brenan
55:29. Did you know we have a work by Brenan
55:33here in Boa Vista , and everyone passes
55:35by it every day , and I can't
55:37remember where it is ,
55:38man . First , who is Brenan ? Francisco
55:40Brenan was one of the greatest
55:42ceramicists in Brazilian history . If
55:45you go to Pernambuco , the whole of
55:47Pernambuco is Brenan . Praça das Águas
55:51, that little waterfall in front of
55:53Bob's .
55:53Hmm . Yes .
55:54That panel is Brenan .
55:55He even inspired the armchair , right ?
55:57Because I saw some characteristics
55:59there . Is it there or is it just in my
56:00head ? It's just in
56:01your head . But tell me , I want to know .
56:03The actual design there in the plaster .
56:05Yes . No , no , no , no , it wasn't inspired
56:09.
56:09And that one , but it's cool , the
56:11perspective is interesting , the
56:12connections , right ? And that work by
56:14Brenan . If you look ... There , his
56:16autograph is there , 2002 , you know ? And
56:18he's a renowned guy worldwide . Anyway ,
56:21that's
56:21it , end of story . That's all we have in
56:23terms of monuments . So , we have a
56:25beautiful city , which is hard to find
56:27in Brazil . So , the hardest part ,
56:30actually , we already have , which are
56:32the places . Now what's missing ? Public
56:35power , public power to finance these
56:37projects , right ? So , next year , if God
56:41allows me , of course , right ? Give me
56:47health , time and energy , I intend to
56:49negotiate with the public power for
56:50these monuments so we can start an
56:52artistic movement . Exactly . To start
56:57filling this city with works of art ,
56:59you know ?
56:59How cool . Uh , and going back a little
57:03to the armchair , which was the main
57:05theme of this interview , uh , you said
57:07you have plans to sell it to other
57:09places , precisely because you , as you
57:10said , are the exception who consumes
57:12this type of art here in Hortorama . But
57:16even so , If any art admirer appears
57:18here in the state , or anyone listening
57:20to this interview , how can they view
57:22this artwork , appreciate it ? It's on
57:27display for viewing and for those who
57:28want to acquire and purchase it .
57:31This artwork will go to my personal
57:33collection and will be kept there until
57:34the next exhibition , whether here or
57:36elsewhere . There's no prospect of
57:41having another exhibition of it here in
57:43Boa Vista . For purchase inquiries ,
57:46contact me through Instagram .
57:49Which one ?
57:50It's milhomemalbaartarte . Milhoma .
57:55Milom , write 1000 homem all together .
57:58Alba arte . Yes . Or on the website , I
58:03have a website which is milhomen .
58:05www.milhomen .
58:09There you go , that's correct .
58:11It's very easy to find me , man . Just
58:13Google it , you'll find a lot of things .
58:14Here I am , I have the underscores here .
58:16Milhom_line alma_line arte . That's
58:19on Instagram . If you search for
58:21milhomem , it will only work , I think ,
58:23right ? There you go . So , regarding the
58:25purchase , not only of the armchair but
58:27also of my art collection , everything
58:29is subject to availability . On
58:32Instagram , you can find my contact
58:33information ; there's a Linktree that ,
58:35through the Instagram link , you can
58:37also access my complete portfolio of
58:39works . My entire professional life is
58:43there on social media for anyone
58:44interested .
58:47So , for those who want to know a little
58:49more , who are curious , who want to
58:51perhaps acquire other works , right ?
58:54There are many works stored there as
58:56well , right , Milan ?
58:57Yes . No , there's still a rich
58:59collection . There are quite a few works
59:01from exhibitions still available . Look ,
59:04anyone who wants to know a little more
59:06about this work can just access my
59:07social media , Instagram , which links to
59:09other platforms as well , like the
59:11website , and purchase there or at least
59:13view and appreciate the work . There's
59:18also the fact that my studio is closed
59:20to visitors , right ? But occasionally ,
59:23and I do open visits , that is , if
59:25someone is interested in seeing the
59:27works , they can just take a look , right
59:29? Okay , get in touch with me and then
59:32we can see if we can schedule a visit
59:34to the studio . You can see the studio ,
59:36learn how the artworks are made , and
59:38see the artworks themselves .
59:40I set up a really cool showroom at my
59:42home – where I live and work , you know ?
59:44I live in the countryside , and there's
59:46a studio and my house , and I've
59:48transformed my house into a showroom ,
59:49you know ? A gallery , basically . And in
59:52this gallery , there are even works that
59:54aren't mine ; they're from the personal
59:56collections of other artists , who were
59:57collectors before becoming artists , you
59:59know ? So , people will be able to see my
1:00:03daily life , how I work , where I work ,
1:00:05my pets , and so on . It's a really cool
1:00:08experience . So , if anyone is interested
1:00:10, you can send a direct message , and we
1:00:11can think about scheduling a day .
1:00:13So , there you have it , the contact
1:00:15information has been passed on to our
1:00:16listeners . I wanted to thank you once
1:00:20again for your willingness to come here
1:00:22and talk to us , tell us a little bit
1:00:23about it , and show us how this ... The
1:00:25artist's mind is constantly pulsing ,
1:00:27right ?
1:00:28Yes , yes , yes . And , well , your
1:00:30entrepreneurial side , your business
1:00:32side too , this vision really about ... uh
1:00:34... artistic business and commerce in
1:00:36our state . Yes , and I wish you much
1:00:39success now on your trip , right , on the
1:00:41launch of ... what's it
1:00:42called ? I wanted to , no , I wanted to
1:00:44say it in English .
1:00:45Ah , the Forest Chair .
1:00:47There you go . Yes ,
1:00:48the forest chair .
1:00:49It's the forest chair . Uh ... I wish you
1:00:54much success on the launch and that all
1:00:56this ... reverberates interest in our
1:00:58state itself and , as you said in this
1:01:00sense , in artistic production ,
1:01:01especially and the appreciation of what
1:01:03is produced by the indigenous people
1:01:05here in our state , by our fauna , by our
1:01:07flora . Very cool . Congratulations and
1:01:12much success .
1:01:12Thank you for the space . Always a great
1:01:14pleasure to be here .
1:01:15Oh , that's good .
1:01:16Thank you .
1:01:17So that's it . This is Emilião in Alba ,
1:01:20a visual artist , well , many other
1:01:22things too , right ? Uh ... in this very
1:01:25cool conversation . And for you who want
1:01:27to listen to this and other interviews ,
1:01:29just access the official channels of ...
1:01:31Roraima Public Defender's Office on
1:01:33Dieser , Spotify , and YouTube . Just
1:01:35search for @defensorr if you need
1:01:37anything . Thank you so much for your
1:01:40company , and until our next meeting .
1:01:41Bye . Bye .