Julia Muggenburg launches the Autumn/Winter 2012 exhibition programme at Belmacz Gallery with Vinho Mancha? (Wine Stain?), displaying fashion, photography and video illuminating the conception of an abstract print adorning the spring/summer 2013 collection by Greice Antes. A limited edition Belmacz necklace, produced by Muggenburg to commemorate the exhibition, is composed of a single strand of pearls adorned with garnets and oxidised sterling Silver.

The lustrous semi-precious stones evoke spontaneous splashes of red wine which, ultimately, inspired Antes’s pattern. “If wine drops fall upon cloth, is the result an unsightly mark or simply meant to be?” she wondered upon contemplating it. The convivial and participatory nature of the ancient wine tasting ritual were aspects which Antes also sought to imbue within her design process. Terroir Aurora — Brazil’s largest and most technologically skilled vintner found in Bento Gonçalves, a 90 minute drive from Antes’s studio in Porto Alegre — supported her venture.

The video of Vinho Mancha? translates the sense of catharsis and exhilaration Antes and her group of collaborators experienced while print-making. The photographs and garments display the beauty of the seemingly spontaneous yet considered handiwork. “The designs are printed with joy,” reflects Antes.