In the gritty urban landscape of Valparaiso, Chile, sits a small living room straight out of the 1960s. The armchairs are candy apple red, to match the retro red carpet, red checkered tablecloths and cheerful red balloons. Scattered around this living room is… stuff. In one corner, a leopard print fur coat. In another, plastic tote bags, silk scarves, neon-framed sunglasses, fly swatters and various tsotchke are carefully arranged on a table — old music complements this miscellany of clothing, accessories and household items from years past.

Presiding over all this stuff are Karina Vukovic and Male Retamales, whose matching red lips match the décor. Karina, an architect, and Male, a stylist, are the founding members of Re_cuerda, a creative partnership formed from a love of the designs of yesteryear. Re_cuerda aims to collect and restore used items in order to prolong their utility and reduce waste, as well as contribute to the creative landscape of Valparaiso by organizing events.

“Re_cuerda is an embrace of the past,” Karina tells me. “The idea is to generate shows and sales in different parts of the city, as much inside and outside, with the intention of connecting the world of clothing with the architecture of Valparaiso.”

Bazar Mora, described here, is one of Re_cuerda’s many projects. Once or twice a month, Karina and Male exhibit and sell their finds out of a living room installation adjacent to Soda Naturista Mora, a small café located in the pedestrian area of Avenida Brasil, between Bellavista and Pudeto streets in downtown Valparaiso.

“It is an urban intervention,” says Karina. “It is a living area, with armchairs that receive and welcome passers-by and those we encounter in our daily lives. It is a small space, but filled with multiple experiences. The invitation is to share this small space… to inhabit it.”

For more of Jessica’s blogs on Chile, click here and here.