Elogio de la Sombra de Buenos Aires Exhibition and Identity

Press Kit

Unique Properties

The creation of a sensitive and minimalist artwork and design, emphasizing the installation's presence in the space, under the noise and visual pollution conditions typical of the downtown area, and especially the entrance areas to the Galerias Pacifico shopping center, where the Centro Cultural Borges is located.

Dimensions & Packaging

1. Layout of the art installation in five shop windows in a public space.
a. Implementation of institutional identity elements.
b. Implementation of the identity developed for the exhibition.
c. Monitoring and control during the installation of the artwork.

2. Communication.
a. Pre-opening.
i. Invitations and digital content for social media.
ii. Posters and brochures for the cultural center's programming.
iii. Promotional stationery.

b. Opening and promotion.
i. Flyers and digital content for social media.
ii. Interactive microsite linked to the shop windows.

Tags

Cultural Heritage, Culture, World Literature, Jorge Luis Borges, Buenos Aires, Artistic Space, Artwork, Exhibition, Identity, Design

Production Technology

These scenes are made from paper cutouts inside micro-perforated cylindrical capsules which illuminates them by projecting their shadows.

The project included graphic production and the preparation of original artwork, the creation of layouts, maps, and assembly diagrams, and the installation of graphic works for application by the various teams.
It also involved the reinterpretation, digitization, and implementation of calligraphic symbols obtained from the institutional archive for the composition of labels, titles, curatorial texts, and promotional materials for the exhibition. Finally, it included the design and layout of promotional materials and public and institutional outreach materials for the exhibition.

Design Challenge

The main challenge was to carefully consider the visual attributes in relation to the work and imagery of Jorge Luis Borges, and more specifically, his poetry connected to the city.

Research

In the context of the Centro Cultural Borges new season during the first quarter of 2024, the site-specific exhibition "Elogio de la Sombra de Buenos Aires" was programmed in the historic center of Buenos Aires. The exhibition consists of twelve miniature models of typical scenes and daily life in downtown Buenos Aires.

The initial stage of the project involved research into the cultural center's heritage collection, which includes numerous documents and manuscripts by the author. Based on these, a digitization process was developed for his personal handwriting, as well as for various stationery items and historical documents.

Furthermore, to create the required series of architectural pieces, measurements and spatial details of the facilities were surveyed. These facilities share space with the Galerias Pacifico shopping center, including the large glass-fronted galleries facing the street at the intersection of San Martin and Viamonte streets. It is also significant that the landscape in which these galleries are situated during peak hours is filled with heavy traffic and activity, constituting the typical metropolitan and cosmopolitan scene characteristic of one of the city's busiest tourist areas.

Inspiration

The exhibition is a catalog of everyday scenes, similar to those described by Jorge Luis Borges in the poem "Buenos Aires" (Elogio de la Sombra, Emece, 1969). These aspects, along with others such as the author's manuscripts and the downtown Buenos Aires scene, influenced the formal and conceptual decisions of the graphic system.

Project Duration

The project was carried out in Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires between January and April 2024 and was exhibited at the Centro Cultural Borges until June 2024.

Operation Flow

The project focuses on the windows of the Centro Cultural Borges, where the installation is located. It aims to capture the attention of passersby in downtown Buenos Aires, visually narrating a poem by Jorge Luis Borges through the contrast with the city. The installation is complemented by an interactive microsite, accessible via QR code integrated into the windows. On this site, visitors can learn about the project and create their own interpretations of the Buenos Aires landscape, much like Borges in his eponymous poem.
For the physical component, a series of institutional and promotional materials (including invitations, posters, and fanzines) and specific furniture were developed, all sharing the same spirit and visual key.

Patents

Copyrights belong to Acorde & Co., 2026

Image Credits

Image #1: Creator Acorde & Co., Elogio: essence, 2024.
Image #2: Creator Acorde & Co., Elogio: location, 2024.
Image #3: Creator Acorde & Co., Elogio: details, 2024.
Image #4: Creator Acorde & Co., Elogio: visitors, 2024.
Image #5: Creator Acorde & Co., Elogio: craftsmanship, 2024.