Samuel Kalika
Director
Samuel Kalika is the founder of Critical Concrete.
After studying mathematics (BA – Paris VI, 2003) and fine arts (MA – UPV, Valencia & CAFA, Beijing, 2011), Samuel moved to Berlin to coordinate the ZK/U Center for Arts and Urbanistics of Berlin (2011 – 2016).
There, he worked mainly around the problematics of sustainability of DIY, placements of artists in non-artistic organisations and coordinated the artistic residency. In parallel, he was developing socially engaged artistic projects since 2010.
In the continuation of his work at the ZK/U, Samuel founded Critical Concrete in 2015. The intention of the project was to create a socially relevant cultural project, a production centre, platform for makers and locals in a suburb of Porto. Hit by the housing poverty they encountered when scouting for spaces, Samuel and Juliana — first project coordinator — redesigned the project for it to be a solution to tackle this issue, resolve some situation, and sensibilise young people to this hidden reality.
On a second stage, the production centre Co-Lateral was opened in September 2016 in the neighbourhood of Francos, in the North West of Porto.
LATEST ARTICLES
Linseed & Tung Oil Mix for Wood Protection
Applying a bio-based oil mixture to protect our wood structures is still essential for our work. Our original recipe included coconut oil and needed to be heated in order to combine the various other oils. Therefore we started to experiment with removing the coconut oil…
LIME: Everything you need to know to get started
Lime has been used as a building material for thousands of years because of its unique properties. Lime is strong, durable and flexible, which means that it can withstand construction loads without breaking down. It is also breathable, allowing moisture to evaporate, reducing the risk…
Wood Protection: Flour Paint
Introduction How paint affects the environment In general all paints are prepared according to a simple recipe featuring 5 basic ingredients:Paint is composed of liquid, solvents, resins, pigments and various additives. Pigments give the paint colour; solvents make it easier to apply; resins help it…