It doesn't get any cheaper. Natural and soft, it retains freshness but also heat, if necessary, and is used to create a comfortable and warm atmosphere. Cork is one of the most characteristic natural products of Portugal and is part of our daily life without us realizing it.
Wine bottle corks are the most well-known object, but there are many articles made of cork: fashion accessories, bags, clothes and shoes, furniture and coverings, floors and walls, among others. The recent invention of cork fabric has revolutionized this industry and highlighted its much appreciated properties: it is resistant, versatile, recyclable, hypoallergenic and has thermal and acoustic qualities. In addition, its transformation process, allowing it to be worked easily. Para Apart from objects of daily use, cork is part of the history of Portugal and can be found in many monuments and points of interest:
Portugal is the main world producer of cork, responsible for more than 60% of the volume of world exports, and has a surface occupied by cork oak corresponding to 25% of the surface of cork oak forests worldwide. Therefore, when you travel across the country, especially in the Alentejo region, notice how the cork oak is one of the most common trees in the landscape.
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Cork being a highly versatile natural product, it makes it possible to make almost unimaginable things. Check out some examples.
A dress for Lady Gaga
Designer Teresa Martins recently worked on a complete outfit designed for Lady Gaga using cork fabric from Pelcor. Inspired by the music of the famous singer and the artwork of Klimt, to whom the city of Vienna honored on the occasion of its 150th anniversary, Teresa Martins created a cork dress adorned with leaves gold and silver and hand-embroidered with pearls and metal threads, reproducing the textures and compositions that characterize the painter's paintings.
It took two years to make this dress, which symbolizes the fusion between fashion, music and art, offered to Lady Gaga, who wore it at the Art Rave after her concert in Lisbon, in November 2014. The moment was so loved that Lady Gaga shared it on social media.
Works of art from cork
After being used on wine bottles, corks may seem useless; nevertheless, artists assign them a new function and use them to create works of art.
Scott Gundersen is an American artist, originally from Chicago, who uses corks for his works. 3842 corks were used for his first portrait, that of Jeanne, in 2009. In 2010, he made the portrait of a friend, Grace. This gigantic work, made up of 9217 corks, occupied the artist for 50 hours. It is also for the artist to draw attention to the importance of recycling and sustainable art.
At the invitation of the organization Turismo de Portugal (Tourism of Portugal), Scott Gundersen presents the reproduction of a portrait of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, at the International Tourism Fair, FITUR, in Madrid. The painting has more than 30,000 corks and measures 2.36 m in height and 3.3 m in length. It weighs nearly 140 kgInsulator used by NASA
The Portuguese company Corticeira Amorim is one of NASA's main partners in providing insulation solutions.