PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The publication Puerto Rico Negrx serves as the document for the exhibition of the same name, which was on display from October 20, 2023, to September 1, 2024, at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico. This publication includes five texts: the main essay written by the exhibition’s curators and four contributions from invited writers who offer their perspectives on the subject. It also showcases works by 39 Afro-Puerto Rican artists, along with documentation of performances that took place after the opening event. This book marks a significant moment in contemporary art history, highlighting Blackness on a larger scale in Puerto Rico.
TEMBOL collaborated directly with curators María Elena Ortíz and Marina Reyes Franco in designing this book.
SOLUTION
Our approach to designing this publication was an act of translation—an attempt to transmute the ephemeral experience of the exhibition into a new materiality, ensuring that the artistic and curatorial work endures beyond the physical space of the museum.
We established the book’s materiality with a generous size, allowing the artworks to be displayed with the detail they deserve while also standing out on a bookshelf. The silver cover acts as a reflective surface, responding to the surrounding colors. Upon opening the book, we emphasize the contrast between digital and handcrafted elements, featuring exposed Swiss binding that reveals an abstract preview of the interior content.
The choice of paper and color establishes a rhythm between the different sections. Black pages introduce the book, transitioning to a natural-colored paper for the essays before leading into the exhibition rooms, where glossy paper captures the magic of the displayed works. A digital green background supports the English essays, contrasting with the analog nature of the Spanish text. The book closes just as it began—negrx.
The artwork section is designed to simulate a journey through the museum galleries. The pieces are arranged in the order they appear in the exhibition, interspersed with photographs that place them in their physical context, alongside one or more surrounding works. The human element is intentionally present to enhance this immersive experience.
PRINTING & MATERIALS
Printed by: Conti Tipocolor, Italy
Size: 18.80 x 27.20 cm (closed)
Interior: 100gsm Arena Natural Rough / 150gsm matte art paper / purple thread binding
Cover: Hard case wrapped in Wibalin Black with 1-color foil stamping
Fonts: FK Raster Roman Compact for titles and page numbers / ABC Rom for body text and captions
CULTURAL CONTEXT
Although there were key and valuable precedents during the 1980s and 1990s, Puerto Rico Negrx is the first exhibition of this scale at one of Puerto Rico’s most important art institutions.
As Marianne Ramírez Aponte, director of the MAC, states: “Puerto Rico Negrx claims a space for narratives by and for Black artists, thus confronting the hegemonic discourse of racial harmony in the Caribbean archipelago—one that often overlooks the contemporary practices of Black artists.”
- Creative & Design Direction
- Luis Tuto González
- Graphic Designer
- Abdiel O. Torres Tirado
- Co-Curator
- Marina Reyes Franco
- Co-Curator
- María Elena Ortiz
- Portfolio Photography
- Emanuel González
Project link
