CUCULA, the refugees company for crafts and design — named after a West African word for connection and working together — originated in late 2013. It is an association, a workshop and an educational program.
The project supports refugees to build their own professional future. Cucula designs, manufactures, produces and sells premium design objects. It conveys basic technical qualifications with focus on furniture production. Drawing on their own biography, the trainees develop new and intriguing objects.
As a starting point, Cucula is exploring Enzo Mari’s ‘DIY’ furniture program ‘Autoprgettazione’. The artist grants the team the rights to use his designs, to build and further develop his furniture. In this way, Enzo Mari’s ideas meet the ones from young African refugees who are now engaging with their personal stories to form new perspectives.
