Sara González de Ubieta, City of Barcelona Design Award 2019

If we visited Sara González de Ubieta‘s studio without knowing about her practice, it would surely be difficult for us to identify what she does. The shoe shapes would point towards the design of footwear, but the diversity of materials would make us think of contemporary art, the fibers of diverse fabrics would make us think of textile crafts and the plantations of the scoby mushroom, along with the roots of the Dichondra Repens plant and the moss would end up leaving us completely clueless. That is why «Práctica» (practice), the title of the book that collects the research in the field of footwear design that has earned her the 2019 City of Barcelona Design Award, could not be more relevant. Indeed, the practice of Sara González de Ubieta is an open, free and cross-disciplinary practice and as such, it connects 100% with a contemporary conception of design as a tool to solve problems.

The problems, for her, are clear: the design of traditional footwear, based on pattern making and the use of skins and synthetic materials that are harmful to the planet is not sustainable and it has to change, especially if we are aware of the number of alternative materials available and the potential of waste material.

Trained as an architect and experimenter as few, de Ubieta acquired knowledge in handicrafts applied to footwear and delved into it from a predilection for unconventional, sustainable, often wasted and sometimes living materials. This research has led her to open roads where there were none, as it was highlighted by the jury’s act: “formally rethinking not only the classic concept of shoemaking, but its interaction with local crafts”.

De Ubieta is an expert craftswoman in cooking materials and «Práctica» looks like her recipe book, a review of all her experiments designed by María Pérez Trillo, with photographs by Rafa Castells, summaries of her workshops and chronicles of her collaborations with professionals such as Andrea Viêntëc, Ariadna Parreu, Judit Urgellés, Oscar Tomico, Guillermo Orjales and Noelia Covelo. The result of each recipe, beyond the more or less practical use of each shoe, enters the territory of art. Each piece of footwear is a sculpture that starts from the foot as a mould, and it is the result of a practice that makes us reflect on the agency of the materials used. That is why it is not strange that the book has been commissioned by sculptor David Bestué for the Pasarela Collection of Puente Editores, an independent publishing house dedicated to architecture and contemporary art.

From the FAD, we would like to celebrate this recognition because we know Sara’s practice closely, not only for her innovative work on footwear design but for her work as secretary of the A-FAD, from where she has led equally innovative projects in her field. Without a doubt, the design that crosses disciplinary borders is the design that has the most impact for a city, and for this reason, the City of Barcelona Design Award for this year’s could not be more deserved. Congratulations, Sara!

Text: Sol Polo