Founded in 2009 by Fernando and Humberto Campana, the mission of the Instituto Campana is to preserve the legacy of the Campana Brothers, using design as a transformation tool through social and educational programs. The private non-profit civil association achieves this objective through partnerships with national and foreign institutions, companies, organizations and public and private entities.
One of the main attributes of the Campana Brothers work is the inspiration on traditional handcraft techniques from different parts of Brazil and the world. It was precisely the proximity to different realities that triggered the initial impulse to create an organization with three main work areas:
First the revival of artisan techniques that encompass traditional dying out artisan skills and the artistic concepts and techniques developed by the Campana brothers. “When we collaborate with craftsman we rescue traditions, promote a métier and increase their self-esteem. This exchange also enhances us as professionals and brings a fresh look to our production”, states Humberto Campana.
Second, the development of social inclusion and education as a means to improve peoples lives through the creation of art and design educational programs as well as lectures and exhibits from the Institute collection and others.
If the Campana Brothers work raises a series of criticism to our current society – industrialization, massification, inequality, the Instituto Campana was devised to institutionalize the duo universe and promote objects that stimulate social intervention through a design perspective. “The Institute was created with the purpose of spreading our universe – vision and language – through the dissemination of our collection and the promotion of cultural and educational activities. Life has granted us so much, now it is our turn to reciprocate”, concludes Fernando Campana.
Last, to maintain and preserve the collection and the memory of the brothers, to share their knowledge in design, architecture and arts with future generations. The safekeeping and preservation of the Campana artwork and files is part of that work. The collection comprises finished pieces, prototypes, raw materials, documents, photographs and publications of their creations, as well as other essential objects that tell the history of the artists’ trajectory since their premiere in 1983.
