Since 2002, Valeria Hasse and Marcela Muñiz have been working together at the intersection of jewellery, art and sustainable practice. Their approach is based on the use of donated and found materials, which are transformed into new objects through craft processes. The result is jewellery that is not only aesthetically compelling but also serves as a vessel for stories – shaped by its past existence yet open to new meanings.
The lecture focuses on an expanded understanding of recycling: not as an industrial process, but as a creative, small-scale and artisanal practice. Tota reciclados views the collection, repair and redesign of materials as a cultural and social act. Particularly in marginalised contexts, recycling is closely linked to survival strategies – a knowledge that is often lost in wealthier parts of the world.
The collective’s work combines industrial and artisanal techniques, precious and seemingly worthless materials, and ornamental visual languages. From a love of discovery and reappropriation emerges a distinctive visual language that deliberately takes a stand against the throwaway mentality and advocates a new appreciation of materiality and history.
Valeria Hasse studied graphic design at the University of Buenos Aires and at the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht. Together with Marcela Muñiz, an architect, she has held residencies at the Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, as well as in Amsterdam and Apeldoorn. In May 2026, Hasse will be visiting the Gemstone and Jewellery Campus to lead a masterclass.
This lecture is aimed at students, industry professionals and anyone else who is interested. You can find more information about tota reciclados on Instagram.
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