Through her art, Vanessa Barragão wants to convey the message that it is important for everyone to do their part in preserving the planet so that future generations can live in a healthy and enjoyable way. “Coral reefs are a great pillar of the marine ecosystem and if they become degraded this will have major consequences and we could even lose all marine life in the ocean”, she warns.
The Government’s invitation to produce this piece was a surprise but a source of great pride. “This is a great recognition of my work, of my country, and it will be in a place where it will live forever. It is a great pride for me to have my work in a place like this, given by my country”, says the textile artist.
All of Vanessa Barragão’s pieces are made using artisanal and ancestral techniques, which makes the production process longer. “Through these artisanal production methods, the pieces gain an inexplicable value and I think this is very important in the world where everything is disposable today. These pieces will live forever and I don’t think the world needs any more trash,” she says.
Currently, all of Vanessa Barragão’s pieces are made to order and based on the collections she already has open. She works with the galleries This is Not a White Cube, in Lisbon, Cobra Gallery, in Shanghai, China, and Galeria Casa Quadrada, in Bogotá, Colombia.
The donation ceremony took place on Monday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where the piece is now on display in the Delegates’ Room of this institution. This event was attended by the Prime Minister, António Costa and the Minister of the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva.
“With this offer, for permanent exhibition in the UN headquarters building, the Government states that it wants to value Portugal’s active participation” in that organization, “as well as the leading role of the United Nations in the Oceans agenda and in the construction of a greener future , safer and more prosperous”, can be read in the note released by António Costa’s office. This donation also aims to recognize the work of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in combating climate change.
Guterres thanked the “generous donation”, emphasizing the traditional artisanal techniques and recycled materials used, referring to the vibrant and organic forms of the ocean.
“Like the delicate yet resilient threads of this tapestry, all life on this planet is interwoven into an intricate, codependent web. Coral reefs are among the most stunning, most biodiverse and most vital habitats on our planet,” she noted.
