Partners
Mãos Que Criam
Mãos Que Criam is a space for productive occupation, from the Instituto S. João de Deus - Casa de Saúde de São Miguel, aimed at people with mental illness and/or problems linked to addictive behaviors. Through artistic expression, creativity and systematization of production, it promotes the maintenance and development of personal, social and relational skills.
The main goal is to carry out maintenance work and acquire skills with users who do not yet demonstrate them, in order to reintegrate into the community. When we talk about sustainability, we also talk about social responsibility and generating a positive impact on society. It is in this context that the collaboration between NINE DOTS and Mãos Que Criam project was born. Every piece of ceramics from ETC. Osteria Bar is produced by hand by Mãos Que Criam users and collaborators, transforming clay into unique pieces.
The creation process is divided into several phases and tasks, so that all users can be included, according to their skills, abilities and motivation.
From placing a stamp to placing the ceramic glaze, all work is valued and recognized.
MUSA AZORES
MUSA AZORES aims to promote the sustainable and socially inclusive use of an important abundant resource in the Azores - the regional banana tree, species Musa acuminata Colla - through the creation of artisanal pieces and the promotion of experiences around it.
According to statistical data from SREA - Regional Statistical Service of the Azores (2019), in 2018 the Azores produced around 5053 tons of bananas, which represents 22% of national banana production. Each ton of banana generates around 4 tons of waste, as banana trees do not allow for a second harvest, thus becoming biomass waste.
The need to promote greater sustainability in the use of this resource has become a growing concern for the creators of the MUSA AZORES project - António Braga, Elga Martin and Vanessa Melo.
Sustainability also includes the desire and opportunity to promote local traditions and cultures, often involving vulnerable local communities in converting this waste into handcrafted or manufactured pieces, with a view to their social inclusion and socioeconomic development.
Exploring different transformation techniques, the dry fibers from the banana stem and leaves are intertwined to create different decorative and utilitarian pieces. One of these extraordinary creations is present in each of the rooms at NINE DOTS. A small basket that is born from the use of what was previously waste to give it a new life, representing a healthy, simple and respectful relationship with nature.
VIEIRA CERAMICs FACTORY
Vieira Ceramics Factory was the first ceramics factory in the Azores. Its origins date back to the 19th century and it has remained in the same family since then. The current owner, António José Vieira, belongs to the fourth generation of the family, and his three daughters, partners, belong to the fifth generation.
With very characteristic designs, in which the color blue predominates, the well-known “Louça da Lagoa” is produced through artisanal processes, from modeling, painting and baking in the oven.
It is in this “ex-libris” of Lagoa municipality, that the tile panel of ETC. Osteria Bar was born. A contemporary work, handmade by artisans, which honors and transposes to the present day the history and traditions that have lasted since the factory's early days.
ZOURI VEGAN SHOES
Zouri is a Portuguese eco-vegan footwear brand that uses plastic waste from the Portuguese coast combined with ecological and sustainable materials.
Each pair of shoes reuses the equivalent of 8 plastic bottles from the Ocean, with 80% of the plastic waste collected coming from fishing activities.
Together with more than 600 volunteers from local institutions, non-governmental organizations and schools, Zouri Vegan Shoes has already managed to remove more than a ton of plastic from Portuguese beaches, giving it a new purpose.
At NINE DOTS, we embody the values we believe in. Our employees use Zouri footwear, produced by hand, fairly and ethically, in the heart of Portugal, in Guimarães.
Every day, at every step, we honor the noble mission of protecting the oceans.
Master Paivinha
With a simple and elegant character, the ETC. Osteria Bar chairs are part of a traditional line on the island, the well-known “Cadeiras das Furnas”, contributing to the consolidation of the Azorean cultural identity.
It is in Povoação, in the paradisiacal Vale das Furnas, that we find the craftsman who built them - Mestre Paivinha. An artisan all his life, he belongs to the third generation of a family of artisans and now passes on the knowledge of his craft and more traditional techniques to his son.
In the hands of Master Paivinha, hands that carry the heritage of traditional crafts, acacia wood, one of the most important species in the forest landscape of the Azores, is worked from its rawest state, until it is transformed into chairs of unique beauty.
