what’s news Roca Galleries 30 years of Paulo Parra’s work in a retrospective exhibition “Design Essencial” showcases the most iconic pieces of the renowned Portuguese designer and collector “Design Essencial”, a retrospective exhibition that showsfrom various Roca products and components could be 30 years of Paulo Parra’s work, opened in May. Parra isseen. “Design Natural” gathers pieces manufactured in a designer, professor and collector, a member of the socork and leather, the most emblematic materials of the called second generation of Portuguese designers of thedesigner. And finally, “Paulo Parra Design Essencial” 1980s and 1990s, with a career defined by a markedshowcases a selection of the products created by him in personal nature, an expressive reduction, technical,the last 30 years. conceptual and formal creativity without disregardingThe designer was present at the opening of the exhibition, technological innovation. His designs move throughan event that was widely attended by the public, different disciplines such as lighting, home furniture andespecially students that did not want to miss the most electronic and technological systems. He has won severalpersonal side of the master. It is worth mentioning that national and international awards and his objects havePaulo Parra has collaborated with Roca before, as he been produced by companies as renowned as Sony, LGwas a jury of the Portuguese edition of the One Day Electronics and Vista Alegre. Some of his most acclaimedDesign Challenge competition in 2017. works are the Library-Chair, a project for the Presidency of the European Commission, recognized by Art on Chairs; a pedal for a sewing machine that won one of the IF design awards and chairs for the Portuguese pavilion at the Expo Zaragoza 2008 that provided a new and revolutionary approach to cork. His most iconic designs and most renowned pieces were showcased in the exhibition along with a selection of his personal collection made up of over 3,500 objects and 2,000 books. The oldest piece is a knife from 15,000 BC and the most recent one is an Apple iPod from 2001. These and many other curiosities could be seen at the exhibition “Design Essencial”, a global intervention conceived in three complementary directions. “Roca WaterLife” is a scenographic installation on the facade of the Roca Lisboa Gallery where different jellyfish made Lisbon is the theme of a series of talks The sixth session of “Conversas sobre Lisboa” (Conversations about Lisbon) had the Lisbon neighborhood of Marvila as protagonist. In the old days, this district was where all vegetablegardens, industrialwarehouses and factories could befound, but nowadays it hasbecom ae creative incubator, full of co-working spaces, art galleries and workshops forartists. The talk was attended by the journalist Miguel Marujo; Manuel Pereira, anthropologist and director of the Rés do Chão project; Miguel Fontes, executive director of STARTUP Lisboa; and the architect Pedro Novo. This session addressed the origins ofthis radical transformation froma historic, social and architectural perspective, analyzing the meaning and opportunities hat open up int viewof this new situation. 20