Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980
Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980
This exhibition presents the sometimes conflicting visions of modernity proposed by designers of home environments in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela between 1940 and 1980.
FREE
MoMA
March 08, 2024 to September 22, 2024
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Exhibition Details

“There is design in everything,” wrote Clara Porset, the innovative Cuban-Mexican designer. She believed that craft and industry could inspire each other, forging an alternative path for modern design. Not all of Porset’s colleagues agreed with her conviction. This exhibition presents these sometimes conflicting visions of modernity proposed by designers of home environments in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela between 1940 and 1980

Additional Details

For some, design was an evolution of local and Indigenous craft traditions, leading to an approach that combined centuries-old artisanal techniques with machine-based methods. For others, design responded to market conditions and local tastes, and was based on available technologies and industrial processes. In this exhibition, objects including furniture, appliances, posters, textiles, and ceramics, as well as a selection of photographs and paintings, will explore these tensions.

Location

MoMA
11 West 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019

Image: Oscar Niemeyer, “Modulo” Low Table, 1978 / courtesy of MoMA