SOME EXAMPLES FROM THE RANGE OF OBJECTS AT THE EXHIBITION:

PUBLICATION & EDITORIAL DESIGN in MEXICO 2000-2018

presented by Centro university, curated by Uzyel Karp and Ricardo Lozano

This display, shown in Mexico City in 2017 reflects on the relational dynamics generated by the craft of making books. It visualises the rhythms articulated by the designer around contents, formats, and materials. It presents a great diversity of ways to approach, settle, and bring to life a printed book. The content of the exhibition started from an invitation made to designers and publishers valuing design, to select their most representative and relevant body of work. This set of books tells the editorial history of the beginning of the XXI Century in México. The thorough participation, and therefore the richness of the books’ catalogue, is not trivial. It denotes the collective desires of a guild to integrate a show that accounts for our way to do what we do, and how from different generations, we have transformed ourselves together through this editorial course. We displayed a selection of 200 books from the original exhibition that was composed of 600 books.

The story is acutally as follows: a call was made by the curators Uzyel Karp and Ricardo Lozano in 2016, to various established and independent publishing houses to get Mexican publications from between 2000-2017 sent in for an exhibition that would talk about the variety and richness in editorial design in Mexico. A stunning and surprising 800 publications were received. We were very happy to select 200 publications for the London show and complimented them also with some important architecture and design magazines. As in the original concept by the two curators Karp and Lozano, every book had a label attached with information about the authors, editors, graphic designers, publishers, and design facts and figures like size, number of pages, print-run, fonts, paper type, printing and binding and the ISBN code.

SELECTION OF TITLES:

The book exhibitions in Mexico and London have been made possible thanks to CENTRO university, Mexico City. Thank you to publishers ARQUINE and TRAVESIAS MEDIA for their generous support with book publications.

OBSIDIAN PROJECT - Innovating tradition through Obsidian

presented by Anáhuac University, curated by Ricardo Salas and Adrián Rosado

On show were be around 35 functional objects in Black Gold Sheen Obsidian by students, graduates and designers from Anáhuac university (Mexico City) and crafted by skilled artisans from the state of Hidalgo. The cultural diversity present in the Mexican state of Hidalgo is manifested tangibly through its handicraft production and unique designs. Craftsmanship and design are living examples of people with values and skills capable of combining a wide variety of expressions and feelings from their place of origin through their craft. “The Tradition of Innovating through Popular Art” is a program of the School of Design and the government of Hidalgo, in which students and designers propose design concepts to revitalise the crafts and develop new products that generate a creative wealth that benefits the artisanal communities of that state.

The proposals that constitute this first stage of the program and make up the collection are projects of students, graduates and teachers made in golden obsidian, originally from the municipality of Epazoyucan, and made by hands of artisans from Pañhé, Tecozautla. During the design process, the students of the first group worked six months under the guidance of the Mexican designer Silvino Lópeztovar, and the second group worked under the direction of the UK curator Marion Friedmann. The process ranged from gathering knowledge about materials and the craft production, visits for students and teachers to the workshops of the artisans, the conceptualisation of new ideas, development of those and the formal production in the craft workshops over the course of six months.

The project’s very crucial intention is to spur more applications for this beautiful and energetic material, that is mostly left to be used for decorative items like jewellery and little animals, such as turtles. The collbaration with the artiasans was energetic and created a huge wealth of new pieces that will continue to provide demand and variety for the handicraft skills of the artisans.

THE MAGIC and MYSTIC OBSIDIAN AND ITS PROPERTIES

The Obsidian is a volcanic glass stone with a hardness of 5 to 5,5. It has been used in ancient Mexico to make knives and mirrors. Looking into Obsidian mirrors showed the reflections of human faces. The Aztecs believed this were the god-like experiences of looking into the past, present and future. Obsidian bears powerful properties for strength, health and wellbeing. It has potent energies, as it bears the elements of fire, water, and earth. Put a stone on your desk to help your creativity flow and remove blockages. Its the stone of truth and can reveal secrets, and it can answer your biggest questions. Its the stone of honesty and can uncover lies. The stone can help ground you, especially when you are on the winning, succeeding avenue. It can make your dreams come true. Things you have been neglecting will become visible. It is a very protective stone that shield off negative energies. The obsidian stone works like a mirror to allow you to see your own faults and weaknesses. The stone helps to direct weaknesses into strengths. Black Obsidian is a powerful cleanser for the smog that builds up in your aura. It will stimulate your foresight.

This display for the show in London has been made possible thanks to ANAHUAC university.

SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN PROJECTS by CENTRO university

The items presented in this section shared design aspects related to Social Responsibility. Thought-provoking projects that expand our abilities, that embolden and build community, and others that make the most of our limited resources.

1) Palma Soul | Design focused on enhancing handmade items

by Berke Goldberg Kleiman

Industrial design has mainly focused on the mass production of consumer objects. A process that frequently overlooks the essence of the people that take part in it. Palma Soul approaches design alternatives to industrial manufacture by exploring means of handicraft production deep-rooted in Mexican culture. These objects made of palm, account for the diversity of paths that can be taken to conceptualize, manufacture and commercialize items designed on a small scale. These products speak not only of a process but also of the people’s creative soul.

Products: bags, clutch, taco-bags

2) Guardians of the Oceans | Design that reinserts plastic bags after being deemed useless

by the design students: Marla María Tinajero Cabrera, Eduardo Rivas Martín del Campo, Nathan Burak Case, Ana Laura Palafox Díaz, Valentina Anza Menalled, Ollintzin Castro Sánchez, Karla Tinajero, Radamés Vargas, Nahomi Weingers

The colossal amount of plastic bags has disrupted the balance in almost every natural environment, particularly in the oceans. In light of this, Guardians of the Oceans envisions the reduction of this negative impact, through up-cycling and by fostering responsible consumption. This project reinserts polyethylene into goods using a low-scale recycling technique that has been explored by MALIARTS, a design studio in Mexico City, over the past few years. A simple ironing process multiplies the lifespan and profitabilty of the material, providing an array of design possibilities to explore at the same time.

Products: Bags, back-packs and a raincoat.

3) Guma | Design to transform tyre waste into valuable objects

by Alejandro Curi Chávez

Somebody’s waste could be the raw material for others; Guma puts this statement into action. The project employs the desertion of something as common as tires, in order to generate new objects that stand out for their design, strength, durability, and cost. Therefore, Guma reduces the environmental impact of waste, whilst presenting new approaches to post-consumer design.

Products: shoes, stool, rubber sheets / mats

VIDEO MEXICO DESIGN TIME

thanks to Metonymie for the production

CREDITS & THANK YOU TO:

CENTRO and ANAHUAC universities for supporting the exhibition and for being partners!

LOGO & CI DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT courtesy of Centro university. Design by María Vargas, student visual communications, under the direction of Uzyel Karp

PUBLISHING design in México 2000-2018 brought to London courtesy of CENTRO.

OBSIDIAN Project brought to London courtesy of ANAHUAC university and the government of Hidalgo and the secretary of Culture of Hidalgo.

Thank you to ARQUINE (biggest architecture publisher in Latin America) who has brought in a substantial selection of architectural titles.

Thank you to TRAVESIAS MEDIA for their donation of book titles referring to México and México City.

EXHIBITION DESIGN: By Samael Coco

THE SMELL OF MEXICO: Thanks to AROMARIA for the olfactory experience and for making the exhibtion space smell Mexico.

A big thank you to our patrons, partners and sponsors, Carmen Cordera of GALERIA MEXICANA DE DISENO, CENTRAL HOTEL BOUTIQUE in Chihuahua and THE LIFT

Thank you to Milene Hayaux de Tuly and the MEXICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE for a beatiful Mexican evening during the show

Thank you to METONYMIE for the video production

MORE VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Kerstin Scheuch, Uzyel Karp, Ricardo Lozano, Ricardo Salas, Adrián Rosado, Eduardo Landa Velasco, Aromaria, Aero Mexico, Mexican Embassy, Regent Street & St James's Design District, TCS - The Communication Store, The Crown Estate, Lisa Salazar, Denise Camino Creel

ABOUT THE PARTNERS