Officina Vladimiro

The first bike-mechanic who taught me how to fix bikes was called Vladimiro. For some years he studied philosophy and he continued by listening to online classes while repairing bicycles.
When customers or friends were bringing over their broken bike frames, they would always leave the place with some new knowledge. There were a couple of chairs, fixed inner-tubes on sale, some stickers and a welding machine.

Inspired by this friendship, this small project made me reflect on DIY approaches and about an Officina as a social place for reciprocal learning and conviviality that spread into the street.

Unfortunately the Officina closed as Vladimiro had to move to another country. Interviewing people living next doors and old visitors assembled a collective puzzle of his practice.

I presented the work during a collective exhibition self-organised by bike-messenger colleagues at Cycloon, The Hague.