By Ciara Long, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Saturday, February 4th, Rio’s historical Fábrica Bhering will hold its monthly craft fair featuring a selection of work from independent artists, photographers, sculptors and designers. Entrance is free, and the event will run from midday until 10PM.
With independent clothing lines, home furnishings, visual artists and florists among the selection scheduled for Saturday, the fair will span five floors and the terrace area of Fábrica Bhering.
A selection of food and drink vendors will also be at the factory on Saturday, including Rio-based cheese makers Queijaria Carioca, Basilic Pizza and craft beer from Cerveja Trópica Brewing Co.
Live music and entertainment will be provided during the event, with DJ Marco Nunes playing during the day and a special performance from Carnival group Bloco Dinossauros Nacionais from 4PM.
Originally a chocolate factory dating back to the 1880s in Rio’s Port Zone, today Fábrica Bhering’s 18,000 square meter space serves as co-working space for a collection independent artists and makers.
Robson Lemos, a painter and plastic artist who has had exhibitions in Rio and Sao Paulo, is one of many who will be present on Saturday.
“I identified immediately [when I discovered Bhering] because I lived and worked in new areas such as New York’s Harbor Pier, and usually these areas invaded by artists are the coolest future areas of any city,” Lemos told The Rio Times.
Lemos, a dual U.S.-Brazilian citizen who has split has time between both countries, said that he spent five years displaying his work in Glória before he discovered Fábrica Bhering.
“The cultural importance of Bhering is enormous for the city,” explained Lemos. “It functions as a hub of new artists of all media and levels, facilitating public visitation to several spaces at the same time, thus one artist ends up promoting the other and space as a whole.”
The fair, which takes place on the first Saturday of every month, gives visitors the opportunity to explore factory’s space, including corridors with old sweet-making machines, the factory’s iconic architecture and its panoramic views of Rio’s Port Zone.
What: Circuito Interno, Fábrica Bhering
When: Saturday, February 4th, midday until 10PM
Where: Fábrica Bhering, Rua Orestes, 28, Santo Cristo
Entrance: Free