Since the 60s and 70s, Argentina has been the country that has given Spain, and more specifically Barcelona, the largest number of first-class designers. Among the most outstanding, we find Mario Eskenazi, Alberto Lievore, Jorge Pensi, Carlos Rolando, Ricardo Rousselot and America Sanchez, five of whom are National Design Prize laureates. Now, using first-hand accounts, Norberto Chaves - another major player in this migratory phenomenon - has assembled a book with multiple characters that addresses the following questions: Why have Argentine designers integrated so successfully into the fabric of life in Barcelona? What did they bring, what did they find and how did they manage to combine the two things so well? And why does this surprise us? Rather than compiling a mere anthology of the designers' work, the author invites us to listen to a dialogue between two cultural contexts through six experiences and an illustrative conclusion.
Regarding the general layout of the book, it is divided into two parts: before and after emigration. Chaves's aim is that, by the way of the six chronicles, the reader will achieve to get an overall picture of the context of the origins of these designers, since they all are suitable archetypes. In his own words, "the six experiences in Argentina make up quite a representative puzzle that acts as a key to understanding their future Barcelona experience."
The event will take place on thursday, November 16th, at 8 p.m. in Santa & Cole's Barcelona showroom, c/ Santísima Trinidad del Monte 10. Writer Norberto Chaves, Oriol Pibernat and Javier Nieto Santa will make a speech.