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The wonderful everyday

Words:
Jan-Carlos Kucharek

Of Portuguese/Brazilian descent, is it any wonder that London-based designer David Elia came up with this beguiling concept. Blending Portuguese notions of Arte Povera and Brazilian makeshift problem-solving technique  ‘gambiarra’, it was probably only a matter of time before he hit upon his ‘Stray Bullet Chair’. The crossfire between Rio’s military police and drug traffickers were the inspiration for him to riddle the favela neighbourhoods’ ubiquitous Monobloc polypropylene chairs with industrial eyelet hardware to mimic bullet holes. The result, addressing violence, security, drugs, infrastructure and waste, is a strangely moving evocation of both the fragility and robustness of life on the literal edges of Brazilian city society.

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