"After three weeks on display the Vitrina Project will shortly be dismounted. Some shops however have expressed a desire for the displays to be maintained for a while longer. The Padaria Ribeiro for example has talked about installing an identical piece in another shop. Dream Pills has also spoken of taking the Dream Machine to one of their Lisbon shops, whilst Viúva Victória is happy for the window display to remain for an extended period, and Café Aviz will only be removing the illustration on its windows after they return from holidays.
The response from all the shop owners has been positive and they have talked of the interest that the displays have created for the public. So firstly, we would like to congratulate all the students for their hard work in this challenging assignment. We always said that the public voting via Facebook, although of interest, would be of limited influence in our final deliberations – for obvious reasons: some people simply have more friends or bigger families! In the end it didn't feel there was an outright winner – a work that stood head and shoulders above the rest. Instead, we believe there are a number of projects that achieved a high level of success.
Daniela Pereira's paper-cut book display for the Moreira da Costa bookshop demonstrates imaginative interpretation, skill and dedication. Daniela manages to capture our imagination and attention through her three dimensional illustrations, reminding us of the worlds of magic and fantasy that literature brings to our lives. The detail of the work allows the passer-by to recall and revel in the power of story-telling whilst enjoying the visual fantasy that she creates.
Fernando Zalazar's display using white vinyl is a well executed typographic composition that focuses on one of the bakery's most renown commodities – its biscuits – all of which have their own characteristic names, some of which are familiar, some not. The display takes into consideration the limitations of the restricted depth of window space by only using the glass surface, but most importantly, by transforming our acquaintance with objects into their most graphic translation – the written word – it manages to simultaneously play with our understanding of language and its visual representation.
The Dream Machine by João Lima is the only moving installation. Nicely conceived and cleverly engineered it draws its impact on multiple childhood fascinations, specifically, fantasy machines and sweet shops. It is a work that is endearing because it expresses celebration and enjoyment.
The display in Viúva Victória by Joana Basto is based on a clever echo of a common display and storage convention that exists inside traditional hardware shops. It's a work that draws its impact through a form of contextual displacement – using the familiar (based on an observation of what already exists) in order to re-focus attention, thereby creating the possibility of rediscovery and new interpretations.
Our attention was also caught by João Fonseca's creative solution for Café Aviz – a non-conventional space with limited room for spatial expression, achieved with some ingenuity, historical reference and humor.
We would like to thank the Associação Comercial do Porto for their support, and the individual establishment owners for their collaboration and open-mindedness. We look forward to further interventions next year."
Andrew Howard
coordinator of the MA in Communication Design