Sometimes a museum turns out not to be what you expect. In this case, at the Museum of Popular Art in Lisbon, I would have been prepared for ‘popular’ art or a range of people’s/folk art. Instead, what we found was what the main exhibit promised: Hundreds of baskets.
Nearly all the exhibit space of this relatively small museum in the Belem area of the city was taken up with an exhibition of traditional and modern Portuguese basketry and the technology behind them—and their role in history and culture.
The exhibit developed from recent research into the basketry collections of the National Ethnology Museum, looking at the evolving role of basket work, especially from a point of view of sustainability, considering that the main ingredients are readily-grown plants and human skill. The researchers say that basketry is the oldest known human technology.
The research didn’t just look into ancient and more recent baskets; the researchers met with practicing crafters and growers and organized workshops to explore new ideas and possible future uses of plant-woven containers, tools and even furniture. The exhibit grows out of all that, and includes a look at tools and materials, as well as interviews with basket makers.
This basket was made to ride on a donkey’s back, carrying cargo in its four bins.
A ‘summer camp’ of basketry followed the basic research. It involved ten students from across Europe from fields of design, architecture and crafts, working with five Portuguese master craftspeople to explore the question “How can basket weaving contribute to a sustainable future in a coworking and shared living society?”
The camp produced many new designs and materials based on original technology. Included were not only baskets but rugs, purses, and even a basket chair that is said to be light, stackable and able to blend into the environment. It also looks like it might be a bit hard to climb out of!
The museum itself is housed in a simple building that was originally the ‘popular life’ pavilion of the 1940 Portuguese World Exhibition; it was refurbished as a museum in 1948, but still has some of the original murals of Portuguese life from its original use, as well as some handsome wood details, such as the doors below.
