Bomi Park is charmed by this melding of modernism and indigenous invention
Crafting Modernity : Design in Latin America 1940-1980
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Latin America, a vast region embracing North and South America and the Caribbean, was deeply influenced by the global boom in Modernism during the 20th century, which produced a vibrant array of new art movements. Arts and crafts were reinterpreted to reflect modern urban life, and designers began incorporating the lifestyles and habits of everyday people into avant-garde art, exploring the new values of efficiency and simplicity.
The Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan presents a collection of modern design from Latin American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela – spanning from 1940 to 1980. This exhibition, highlighting the intersections of design innovation and cultural heritage, is titled Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America– and runs until November 10th.
The repercussions of industrialisation are a central theme throughout. As domestic products were increasingly replaced by international imports and mass production became the norm, this collection unveils modern design in Latin America deciphered by two key dynamics: a standardised, utilitarian approach to everyday objects aimed at local consumers, and a focus on merging traditions within handcrafted goods and local workshops.
Butaque;Clara Porset; c. 1957;28 3/4 × 25 13/16 × 33 7/16″ (73 × 65.6 × 84.9 cm);Laminated wood and woven wicker; Gift of The Modern Women’s Fund
An example of mass-production-driven design is the Variant A Chair by Gui Bonsiepe, a children’s chair made by a German designer who worked on a project in Chile aimed at adapting industries to local needs. Bonsiepe’s vision of providing cost-efficient designs to improve everyday life is reflected in the chair’s bright yellow colour, simple structure, and use of inexpensive materials like wood. These features highlight the chair’s practicality for various child-related settings while avoiding luxury or extravagance. This innovation to design affordable yet sophisticated objects – such as this small children’s chair for preschool institutions – invite a kind of immersion from the viewer. Imagining a child or our younger self sitting in this chair shows the universality of design uniform, a strong asset of Modernism.
Installation view of Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980, on view at The Museum of Modern Art from March 8 through September 22, 2024. Photo: Robert Gerhardt
A thoughtful application of Latin American culture to Modernism is exemplified in the Butaque chair by Clara Porset, a Cuban furniture designer who worked in Mexico. Her designs integrate indigenous heritage, creating one-of-a-kind objects. The Butaque chair features an organically curved form and a seat crafted intricately from animal skin, symbolizing Latin American tradition. The seat is supported by an X-shaped folding structure, representing the complex influences of Mexican culture, especially the Spanish colonizers of the past. Additionally, the low seating design reflects the influence of Caribbean culture. Porset’s work resonates as a rich tapestry of Latin American identity, showcasing her as a designer deeply connected to multiple cultural threads. The Butaque encapsulates the diversity and vastness of the region and its people.
Modernism, as a dynamic response, powerfully expresses the shift from exclusivity to open access. Whether emphasising cultural identity or serving the local community, the designers’ creations stand as powerful testaments – records of history that challenge the notion of art as a restricted realm only for the elite. Today, we are lucky enough to evaluate this shift within this exhibition at MOMA, where we can celebrate modernism as the pivotal movement that ignited the connection between us and art. The world of creativity is constantly circulating and expanding, as new voices that began from the past deepen our understanding and appreciation of change to this day.
