ASSIMAGRA presents the Broot project at Expo 2025 Osaka:

Five pieces from the Broot: Dialogues from Within collection will be on display at the Portuguese Pavilion from July 3 to 6, in an exhibition marking the close of this project's international tour, led by ASSIMAGRA, an entity that promotes the Portuguese natural stone industry.
According to Célia Marques, Executive Vice President of ASSIMAGRA, the Portuguese natural stone sector has a significant economic impact, with a Gross Value Added (GVA) of around 750 million euros and exports that, in 2023, exceeded 500 million euros. "The Asian market is particularly relevant to the sector, China, for example, is already our second main export destination. Japan still represents a smaller share but is strategic for strengthening the presence and recognition of Portuguese stone in Asia", she explained. In this context, initiatives such as the Broot project and its presentation at Expo 2025 Osaka play a crucial role: 'We need to create more value for our products, and this path is paved with design, innovation, and qualified international promotion.'

Curated and produced by Olivah, the Broot project takes an innovative and sensory approach to Portuguese stone, placing it in dialogue with sustainable materials from various regions of the country, such as clay, wicker, basalt, and cork. In Japan, the collection was showcased at Expo 2025 Osaka with five of its 25 pieces, each representing the unique identity of different national territories.

"This collection was born from a true immersion in the Portuguese countryside. We went to the Alentejo, the Azores, the Serra da Estrela, and the Douro. In each place, we discovered synergies between materials, shapes, and knowledge that coexist with nature", explained Gisella Tortoriello, the project's curator and producer, and founder of the Olivah studio.

Each piece in the collection originates from a specific place and reflects local histories and practices. One of the sculptures present in Osaka pays homage to the megaliths of the Alentejo, with shapes inspired by the quarrying of stone and archaeological heritage, designed by the designer and sportsman Walmart Abreu, who brought the language of nature to the final form.

In the Azores, wicker and basalt gave rise to a piece inspired by the winemaking tradition of Pico Island — built by hand, where soil was transported in wicker baskets between islands, and where the largest vineyard in the region is located today. According to Gisela, 'this connection between wicker and wine represents the reproduction of the islands and their ancestral practices'.

In the Serra da Estrela, the project immersed itself in the mountainous landscape and developed pieces inspired by the region's natural lakes, using granite as a base and burel to represent the textile industry that flourished there.

Another piece in the exhibition was inspired by the rock art of Foz Côa, with schist as the main material and acacia, a wood that is not usually used, transformed into a valuable element. Drawings of horses and other motifs found on cave walls inspired the piece, which reflects on heritage, sustainability, and innovation.

"Ultimately, this collection is a celebration of the country and its raw materials, but also a call to innovation and the future of design based on traditional techniques. Stone is the main link and everything stems from it", said Célia Marques.

The Broot's presence at Expo 2025 Osaka marked the end of the project's international exhibition cycle, which took it to several countries. It will now return to Portugal with the aim of continuing the dialogue with national audiences, notably through a concept store and challenges for architecture schools to come up with new proposals.

"We have already received visitors from all corners of the world. Now it's time to go home and share with the Portuguese people what has been built along this journey," concluded the curator.

Led by ASSIMAGRA, Broot – Dialogues from Within aims to promote Portuguese natural stone as an excellent design material. The project promotes the territory, tradition, and sustainability through an approach that combines innovation, art, and identity. It counts on the collaboration of studios and creators such as Studio Anansi, Studio Olivah, Vítor Reis Cerâmica, JMM Design Studio, and Eneida Lombe Tavares.

At Expo 2025 Osaka, Portugal showcased its strength, creativity, and deep connection to the land to the world. Because every stone tells a story, and every story originates in Portugal.