La Ciudad Frondosa, 2011-2012, Chiachio & Giannone. 
Hand embroidery; cotton, rayon, wool. 
Museum purchase with funds provided by Nanette L. Laitman, 2014
. Argentina.

“There is no question that the design in Latin America is increasingly dynamic, catalytic, and innovative,” writes Lowery Stokes Sims, William and Mildred Ladson Chief Curator of Museum of Arts and Design. “There is a new generation of designers who manifest a creativity that is concerned not only with the imagining of iconic objects but also with issues of commodification and production, urbanization, displacement, and sustainability. The special character of design in Latin America today is marked by a pervasive interest in collaborating across the genres of art, craft, and design,” Sims adds. The panel on Latin American design moderated by Sims, which was held at WantedDesign 2014, focused on “Engaging Craft and Community.” This subject emerged from the organization of the exhibition, “New Territories: Laboratories for Design, Craft and Art in Latin America,” which will open at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York on November 4, 2014. More

Hammock, 2013, Rodrigo Almeida. Hand-made cotton fabric, perforated leather 
Courtesy of the artist. 
Photo: Studio Rodrigo Almeida. Brazil.

The exhibition itself borrows the term “new territories” from the noted Italian architect and designer Gaetano Pesce, who was describing the state of making in today’s globalized society, where boundaries between artistic genres and groups are transcended. This phenomenon has helped to spur a confluence of art, design, and craft. The exhibition at MAD will examine trends in several distinct cities throughout Latin America, where some of the most pertinent new directions in arts and design are emerging today. These include engaging new digital technology and conceptualization and executing objects with artisan communities.

To learn more about the exhibition New Territories at the MAD, visit: http://madmuseum.org/exhibition/new-territories, @NewTerritoriesL.

Latin American Design at WantedDesign 2014

From colorful fibers to noble metals, Latin American designers brought at the fourth edition of WantedDesign vibrant and original objects that added to the international scene a note of freshness. Also, young talents from Anahuac University and Centro diseño were able to present and showcase their works to the international design public. Here are some of our picks.

Familia, Bravo!, Chile.

The Familia is a collection of generic containers designed by the Chilean studio Bravo! These objects are hand made using traditional materials, Lenga wood and copper.

Mariani, Carlos Bobonis, DiPR, Puerto Rico.

Mariani is a collection of tables designed by Carlos Bobonis, who presented his works as part of the group Design in Puerto Rico. This series pays homage to Carlos Bobonis Colorado’s life in the tropics. Its color palette is a reflection of the blue ocean and white sand of his native Caribbean.

The Seat Ball, Fabrica, Guatemala.

The Seat Ball by the Guatemala City based studio Fabrica is a furniture-toy that can be used as a classical chair, an ottoman, a yoga ball or just a sculptural element.

(a) Santa Guadaña, Kaleb J Cárdenas Z, La Tlapaleria, Mexico. (b) Maso Chair, Làbrica, Guatemala. (c) Roberto Juárez, The Carrot Concept, El Salvador.

(a) The Mexican La Tlapaleria proposed provoking design object including Santa Guadaña designed by Kaleb J Cárdenas Z. (b) Maso Chair by the Guatemalan design studio Làbrica is a visually light and easy to incorporate to various environments, in this chair simple lines were used in its design in order to highlight the beauty of the wood typical of Guatemala. (c) Roberto Juárez from the dynamic Collective The Carrot Concept from El Salvador, for the second time at WantedDesign, designed a flat-pack home decor inspired in the Cartesian coordinate system for a three-dimensional space.

La Trufa, David Poma, Mexico Territorio Creativo, Mexico.

David Poma part of the group Mexico Territorio Creativo presented La Trufa, a collection of lights. The combination of chrome, transparent and satin surfaces create a contemporary and unique object.

Mexico Territorio Creativo, Mexico.

This stool showcased as part of the group Mexico Territorio Creativo and was part of the curatorial vision by design experts Andrea Cesarman and Marco Coello who gathered for WantedDesign a complete selection of work that examined, promoted and updated the perspective of present day Mexican design, it’s paradigms and their commitment in celebrating local creativity. Mexico Territorio Creativo was supported by Design Week Mexico (October 15-19, 2014).

Latin American designers at WantedDesign 2014.

As the exhibition New Territories at the MAD will demonstrate, the challenges for designers in Latin America today include production, marketing, and distribution, the participation of Latin American designers at WantedDesign explored and will continue to highlight the strategies that young designers employ to promote their work locally, national, and internationally.