INTERDISEÑO
A CO-CREATION WORKSHOP IN COLOMBIA
CO-DESIGNED WITH LOCAL DESIGNERS & ARTISANS
Design context.
Mompox, Colombia.
Town viewed from Rio Magdalena.
Index:
1. INTRODUCTION:
-PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOALS.
-VISION.
-ORGANIZERS AND SPONSORSHIP.
-DESIGN OUTCOMES OVERVIEW.
2- PEOPLE:
-WORKSHOP LEADERS AND ORGANIZERS.
-ARTISANS AND TRADESPEOPLE IN MOMPOX.
-WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS.
3- TRADES & CRAFTS FOR THIS PROJECT:
-BLACKSMITHING.
-POTTERY & CERAMICS.
-CARPENTRY.
-CABINETRY AND WOODWORKING.
-TEXTILES.
4. DESIGN OUTCOMES & PROCESS:
-FERMINA- ROCKING CHAIR.
-AMARANTA- STORAGE.
-REMEDIOS LA BELLA- SHELVING.
-LA MAGDALENA- CENTERPIECE.
-CLEMENTINA- BASKETS.
-BOCACHICO & EGRETA- HOOKS.
5. CONCLUSIONS.
6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Introduction:
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Interdiseño Mompox22 is a co-creation workshop between Colombian designers and artisans, led by three international industrial design experts.
The workshop took place in 2022 over 10 months of virtual meetings, plus one week of in-person gatherings in Mompox. As a result of this collaboration, a collection of 6 utilitarian objects for architectural spaces, representative of Colombia's cultural richness, was produced. The designed objects enhance traditional Mompox trades, native materials, vernacular typologies, and contemporary design.
PROJECT GOALS:
1- Strengthen and generate income opportunities for the communities involved in the Momposinian artisan production chain.
2- Highlight trades, products, and artisan practices that are disappearing in Mompox, through a contemporary and innovative approach.
3- Highlight the sense of belonging and pride of artisans in traditional trades so
that new generations can find in these practices -and cultural traditions transmitted from generation to generation- a possibility of socio-economic development and cultural pride.
4- Exchange ideas, design practices and technical perspectives amongst participants, to enrich each other's skills.
VISION:
We believe that design can help create thriving ecosystems of mutual symbiosis. As environmental philosopher Yogi Hale Hendlin writes, "Stories of symbiosis are cultivated, not merely accidental." (Hendlin, 2019). At INTERDISEÑO MOMPOX22, we encourage consideration of human communities as well as the lives of other species from which humans live in different forms of relational symbiosis.
ORGANIZERS:
The project was conceived by Ximena Rozo Design and El Boga.
SPONSORSHIP:
Ministerio de Cultura, Colombia and Secretaría de Turismo y Cultura, Colombia.
Casa taller El Boga.
Mompox, Colombia.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
DESIGN OUTCOMES OVERVIEW:
PRODUCTS:
-A. FERMINA- ROCKING CHAIR.
-B. AMARANTA- STORAGE.
-C. REMEDIOS LA BELLA- SHELVING.
-D. LA MAGDALENA- CENTERPIECE.
-E. BOCACHICO & EGRETA- HOOKS.
-F. CLEMENTINA- BASKETS.
WORKSHOP LEADERS AND ORGANIZERS:
XIMENA ROZO
LEADING DESIGNER AND ORGANIZER
COLOMBIA / USA
Ximena is a textile designer from Universidad de Los Andes with a Master's Degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, NY. She is certified in Design Thinking from MIT and Georgia Tech. Her design experience spans from aeronautical and digital to Artisanal design. She is the founder of Ximena Rozo Design, a studio focused on product design, research, and strategy, to bring innovation to the market and contribute to craft development.
CONSTANZA & XIMENA ESCOBAR DE NOGALES
CO-ORGANIZERS
COLOMBIA
El Boga seeks to develop cultural, academic and artistic activities that encourage dialogue and that add value to the local community of Mompox and its visitors. Cultural exchange, environmental sustainability, and the protection of Mompox's tangible and intangible heritage are promoted. El Boga hosts artistic residents, exchanges, workshops, and guests interested in sustaining Casa Taller El Boga's mission.
NATALIA PORTER
LEADING DESIGNER
MEXICO / USA
Natalia is an industrial designer, fine artist and educator with a Master's Degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, a Master's Degree in Fine Arts from CUNY, NY and a BA in Industrial Design from UAM-X in Mexico City. She is the founder of NPorter Design, focusing on jewelry, functional ceramics and Fine Arts. She is a Professor of Industrial Design at San Francisco State University in California.
PETRA LILJA
LEADING DESIGNER, VIRTUAL
SWEDEN
Petra Lilja is a Swedish Industrial Designer, Curator and Design Educator, with a Master's Degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, NY. Through her work, Lilja explores creative ways to address her deep concern for the environment. She has worked as a professor of design as well as director of the Design + Change program at Linnaeus University in Sweden.
TRADE EXPERTS & CRAFTSPEOPLE:
GLENYS ROCHA PUPO
BLACKSMITHING
MOMPOX, COLOMBIA
Glenys Rocha Pupo graduated from La Escuela Taller and from SENA (National Service for Learning in Colombia) in Mompox. She was an apprentice to her maternal grandfather since she was a young child. She has been working in this craft for more than 25 years. She is one of the very few experts in this trade in Mompox.
CARMEN RANGEL TORRES
CABINETRY
MOMPOX, COLOMBIA
Carmen runs a cabinetmaking workshop where she guides a group of wood experts. She inherited this practice from her grandfather, and to this day she works on restoring, reinventing, and producing various types of furniture.
JULIO NEIR CORTEZ
CABINETRY
MOMPOX, COLOMBIA
Julio works in Carmen Rangel's workshop, specializing in the manufacture of wooden furniture.
JOSE CARLOS MONTENEGRO
WOOD CARVING
MOMPOX, COLOMBIA
Jose Carlos is Carmen Rangel's son and his passion is in wood carving.
RAFAEL GUARDIAS
CABINETRY AND CARPENTRY
MOMPOX, COLOMBIA
Rafael has been working for more than ten years in the carpentry and cabinetmaking trades, which have existed in his family for several generations. He runs a workshop that specializes in all things wood, with the ability to create both modern and traditional designs.
DEIMER AREVALO
POTTERY, CERAMICS
MOMPOX, COLOMBIA
Specialist in the manufacture of traditional architectural elements made of ceramics. Deimer has innovated his craft by reducing the thickness and weight of tiles as well as by polishing them. He also has experience making bricks, baseboards and other typical construction elements of colonial architecture relevant to this day.
JADIS GARRIDO
TEXTILE
CESAR & MAGDALENA, COLOMBIA
Jadis is a master weaver and leader of the Candelaria Artisans' Association (ARCA), in Cesar. She and her husband Eduardo have been important forerunners of vertical weaving in Palma mat. Jadis divides her place of residence between Candelaria and a plot in the swamp of Zapatosa, Cesar, and Magdalena. Jadis began weaving at the age of 8 and has taught her sons, grandchildren and daughters-in-law how to weave.
EDUARDO ROSADO
TEXTILE
CESAR & MAGDALENA, COLOMBIA
Along with his wife Jadis, Eduardo is a vertical textile weaver who uses Palma mat, working in the Northern region of Colombia.
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS:
MARIA CLAUDIA VALLEJO
JEWELRY DESIGNER & ANTHROPOLOGIST
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
CATALINA SANINT
FINE ARTIST & LAWYER
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
PAULA VALENCIA
ARCHITECT
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
CHIA DEVIS
FASHION DESIGNER & ARTIST
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
VICKY POSSIN
ARTIST
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
LUCHO MARIÑO
PHOTOGRAPHER
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
Design context.
Mompox, Colombia.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
TRADES AND CRAFTS IN MOMPOX:
BLACKSMITHING
Blacksmiths create objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, by forging metal. The material is subjected to high temperatures to be cut, bent, hammered and molded using various tools. This results in multiple types of objects, both functional and ornamental. This technique has traditionally been used in Mompox for the creation of architectural elements such as window grilles, chandeliers and lanterns, since colonial times. In recent years it has started to get lost due to the reduced number of master artisans who know the craft and trade as well as lack of schools that teach it.
Example of blacksmithing.
Mompox, Colombia.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
Ceramic roofing.
Mompox, Colombia.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
POTTERY & CERAMICS
Potters work with clay, a natural material that can be found on the hillsides of Mompox. By working with their hands, they use various techniques for the creation of utilitarian objects. In Mompox traditional pottery pieces include architectural elements such as pots, jars and storage containers, as well as architectural elements such as roof and floor tiles. All these go through a firing process using artisanal wood-fired ovens, at low to mid-range temperatures.
CARPENTRY
Carpentry is a trade that also works with wood and its derivatives to solve architectural elements. Examples include stairs, doors, windows, frames, railings and other architectural elements. This craft also includes the creation of fixed furniture that is installed in interior spaces such as kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and more.
Example of carpentry.
Mompox, Colombia.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
Classic rocking chair "Silla momposina".
Mompox, Colombia.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
CABINETRY & WOODWORKING
Cabinet making refers to the technique of working with wood in order to build cabinetry as well as furniture. A classic example is the Momposina rocking chair, which has been manufactured in this town since colonial times. This craft also includes the repair of antique furniture as well as the creation of small objects. Usually high quality woods such as mahogany, ebony, oak and walnut are used. Recently, hardwoods such as teak, ideal for exterior environments, are being grown and harvested in the region.
WEAVING & TEXTILES
Weaving focuses on the creation of textiles made to from natural fibers such as the palm mat, and the iraca, which are extracted from vegetation from this region. It also includes the use of synthetic fibers such as acrylic. This leisure is vast and practiced for creation of various objects, such as carpets, blankets, backpacks, hats, brooms and fishing nets.
Example of weaving.
Mompox, Colombia.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
DESIGN OUTCOMES & PROCESS:
-FERMINA- ROCKING CHAIR.
-AMARANTA- STORAGE.
-REMEDIOS LA BELLA- SHELVING.
-LA MAGDALENA- CENTERPIECE.
-CLEMENTINA- BASKETS.
-BOCACHICO & EGRETA- HOOKS.
Workshop participants co-creating.
Casa taller El Boga.
Mompox, Colombia.
FERMINA CHAIR
DESCRIPTION: A ROCKING CHAIR inspired by the traditional Momposina chair, which is starting to be replaced by modern versions and foreign typologies. The design proposal is to create a simplified contemporary version that highlights the iconic elements of La Silla Momposina, combining weaving, cabinetry, and wood carving. The chair also takes inspiration from local architectural details.
MATERIALS: WOOD AND PALMA ESTERA FIBER
CRAFT / TRADE: CABINETRY AND TEXTILE
DESIGN TEAM:
MASTERS / ARTISANS: CARMEN RANGEL, JULIO NEIR CORTEZ, JADIS GARRIDO.
PARTICIPATING DESIGNERS: CATALINA SANINT, PAULA VALENCIA.
LEADING DESIGNERS: XIMENA ROZO, NATALIA PORTER, PETRA LILJA-VIRTUAL.
PROCESS:
Ethnographic research, concept development, co-ideation, sketching, prototyping, usability testing.
See images below.
Fermina Chair.
1rst prototype.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
Amaranta.
Final prototype.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
AMARANTA
DESCRIPTION: A MULTIPURPOSE BOOKSHELF, inspired by the tiles of the traditional colonial roofs of Mompox, as well as the movement of the river’s water and the passage of time. Initially drawn from the curiosity of providing a second life to shattered roof tiles, that would normally go to waste. Amaranta combines forging, wood carving, and pottery, bringing together three different crafts.
MATERIALS: IRON, CLAY AND WOOD
CRAFT / TRADE: BLACKSMITHING, POTTERY AND WOOD CARVING.
DESIGN TEAM:
MASTERS / ARTISANS: DEIMER AREVALO, GLENYS ROCHA PUPO, JOSE CARLOS MONTENEGRO.
PARTICIPATING DESIGNERS: MARIA CLAUDIA VALLEJO, CATALINA SANINT.
LEADING DESIGNERS: XIMENA ROZO, NATALIA PORTER, PETRA LILJA-VIRTUAL.
PROCESS:
Ethnographic research, concept development, co-ideation, sketching, prototyping, usability testing.
See images below.
REMEDIOS, LA BELLA
DESCRIPTION: A STORAGE UNIT inspired by the wooden cages used in the Caribbean to transport the song of birds, which accompanies people in their daily chores. The furniture is designed with the same visual language as the bird cages, but as a proposal to diversify its use beyond keeping a bird. Made of oak and teak with a dowel joint and a touch of color, this "Remedios la Bella" shelf furniture is also connected to architectural typologies and the classic Momposina narrative.
MATERIALS: WOOD- OAK and TEAK
CRAFT / TRADE: CABINETRY
DESIGN TEAM:
MASTERS / ARTISANS: RAFAEL GUARDIAS.
PARTICIPATING DESIGNERS: CHIA DEVIS, VICKY POSSIN.
LEADING DESIGNERS: NATALIA PORTER, XIMENA ROZO, PETRA LILJA-VIRTUAL.
PROCESS:
Ethnographic research, concept development, co-ideation, sketching, prototyping, usability testing.
See images below.
Remedios, la bella.
Final prototype.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
La Magdalena.
Final prototype.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
LA MAGDALENA
DESCRIPTION: The Magdalena is a table centerpiece made in metal. The shape represents the sway of the waves of the Magdalena River, heart of Mompox. The object can grow far and wide by juxtaposing multiple pieces. Like the river, it holds functional elements such as plates, candles, and flowers, as if navigating its waters.
MATERIALS: IRON.
CRAFT / TRADE: BLACKSMITHING.
DESIGN TEAM:
MASTERS / ARTISANS: GLENYS ROCHA PUPO.
PARTICIPATING DESIGNERS: MARIA CLAUDIA VALLEJO, VICKY POSSIN.
LEADING DESIGNERS: XIMENA ROZO, NATALIA PORTER, PETRA LILJA-VIRTUAL.
PROCESS:
Ethnographic research, concept development, co-ideation, sketching, prototyping, usability testing.
See images below.
LAS CLEMENTINAS
DESCRIPTION: The proposal for this design is to highlight the production and use of aguaderas, a natural fiber basket typical of Mompox and the region, which was historically used to store food. This vernacular object is disappearing, being replaced by plastic bins. By adding a colorful harness, the traditional object becomes more versatile, contemporary, easy to carry, transport, and use. A interior colored fabric helps secure the objects contained inside the basket.
MATERIALS: PALM FIBER.
CRAFT / TRADE: TEXTILE AND SOWING.
DESIGN TEAM:
PARTICIPATING DESIGNERS: PAULA VALENCIA.
LEADING DESIGNERS: XIMENA ROZO, NATALIA PORTER, PETRA LILJA-VIRTUAL.
PROCESS:
Ethnographic research, concept development, co-ideation, sketching, prototyping, usability testing.
See images below.
Las Clementinas baskets.
Final prototype.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
Egreta and Bocachico Hooks
Final prototypes.
Photo: Lucho Mariño.
EGRETA AND BOCACHICO HOOKS
DESCRIPTION: A MULTIPURPOSE BOOKSHELF, inspired by the tiles of the traditional colonial roofs of Mompox, as well as the movement of the river’s water and the passage of time. Amaranta combines forging, wood carving, and pottery, bringing together three crafts that combine the four natural elements: fire, earth, water, and air.
MATERIALS: IRON.
CRAFT / TRADE: BLACKSMITHING.
DESIGN TEAM:
MASTERS / ARTISANS: GLENYS ROCHA PUPO.
PARTICIPATING DESIGNERS: CHIA DEVIS, MARIA CLAUDIA VALLEJO.
LEADING DESIGNERS: XIMENA ROZO, NATALIA PORTER, PETRA LILJA-VIRTUAL.
PROCESS:
Ethnographic research, concept development, co-ideation, sketching, prototyping, usability testing.
See images below.
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