“This intervention has five acts, five phases of contamination by the art of plasterwork that progressively becomes part of and reveals itself in the building. It is like a story being told throughout the building.”

Ornamental plasterwork reached its peak in late nineteenth century interiors and slowly faded away with the emergence of Modern architecture. Less is more became not just the motto for pure, clean design but also a death sentence to decoration of any type.
The same happened with plasterers, artisans of a different level that lent their artistic talent to traditional renders of walls and ceilings, often with elaborate moulds and hand-carved shapes. Working with lime-based renders and thin gypsum finishes also required special technical skills and a manual devotion to the craft. Despite the use of moulds and other tools, ornamental plasterwork remained over the centuries a personal, unique hand-made art.
Through the work of ornamental artist Iva Viana, Ivens Arte brings this art back combining once again the old and the new, with a perfect technical compatibility. Through a process of contamination, original ceilings are blended with new contemporary designs, in a modern interpretation of traditional interiors respecting the same materials and techniques. Little shells, flowers and leaves start to emerge in the old surfaces, almost unnoticed at first, but gradually gaining a more prominent presence, like artistic sculptures in the air. It is a discreet art form that ensures continuity and contemporaneity at the same time.