The Visual Language of South America. Designer’s Travel Diaries.
What I’ve learned as a designer and a traveler visiting a new continent for the first time
At the end of 2019, I started my trip to South America. That was the first time I arrived on this continent. During my stay I’ve got a wide range of impressions in many spheres and, as a designer, I’ve noticed certain features that make this continent unique especially from a visual part.
How long did I plan my trip? Less than a month. Though it was a sudden solution based on a very good deal for a 12-hour transatlantic flight, there was one more reason why I decided to jump into this adventure.
I Have a Dream
Did you ever want to visit a certain place since your childhood? Some may dream about Disneyland, others are inspired by the movies and would like to visit New York at Christmas time like Macaulay Culkin in “Home Alone”.
I liked it too but what I was inspired by even more were the landscapes of a faraway continent where the majestic city was — Rio.
There is a french comedy “Le Retour du Grand Blond” (Eng: “The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe”) where the main hero, Pierre Richard, has to play a role of a secret agent but before that, he’s having a vacation with his wife in Rio de Janeiro.
That was the first time I discovered Rio in my childhood and the moment I got a dream to visit this city.
How I Designed My Trip?
One writer I’ve met in Buenos Aires while flirting to me suggested writing a story on how I design my trips because I’m a designer who likes to write and travel. Well, I forgot his name but not the idea, so here’s the pilot version.
Planning a trip to a new, undiscovered yet continent in a tight deadline might be a challenge. As you already know, my Call-to-Action was Rio. Then, there’s Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world, obviously has a lot more to offer. I couldn’t resist visiting Iguazu Falls and the capital Brasilia as it’s a totally different experience from Rio. One more city I started my trip with was San Paulo.
I must confess I wasn’t that perfect with choosing the number of days to stay in each place except for Iguazu—there I’ve been 3,5 days and even met a New Year’s Eve. It was a brilliant and full experience. In other cases, 2 days for San Paulo (not the best idea as the first day was a holiday and almost everything was closed), 3,5 for Rio (enough to see the classic touristic spots and even a smaller city next to it, Niterói but not enough to get to know carioca), and 4,5 days in Brasilia where I was lucky to spend time with my friends.
Certainly, the number of days was also based on the price of transportation—because of the safety reasons, I booked the flights only.
I realized, that the best experience to visit Iguazu Falls would be to see both sides—Brazilian and Argentinian, especially since it’s cheaper to stay in Argentina. Then I decided to visit the capital Buenos Aires too, choosing to stay there for 2 weeks which, turned out, was a great decision. Also, the proximity to Uruguay made me visit Colonia del Sacramento city once during my Buenos stay.
As a result, 3 countries, 8 cities in 28,5 days.
The visual language of South America
The bright reality
I was in South America in December and January, the time when it’s summer there. Sometimes it was very hot like in Rio but there was also a gorgeous ocean as a rescue. The sun was shining most of the days with few exceptions in Brasilia, and everywhere I noticed exotic for me nature—intense greenery and bright accent colors on the petals.
This reality, for sure, influences on people. Where’s the brightest carnival is happening? Rio. How can you describe people in Latin America? I would say, smiling, generous, and open-hearted.
Therefore, I’ve noticed the color on many things created by the locals—buildings, fashion, and food.
Architecture, Niemeyer, and modernist vision
I graduated as an architect and during my studies I marked the architects I found as masters. One of them on my list was a Brazilian architect Oskar Niemeyer. Despite the time his buildings were created, they still look one-of-a-kind.
Thanks to my initial love for Niemeyer’s works, Brasilia was on my wish list as it’s a quintessence of his architectural vision. If you want to sound smart, don’t forget these names as well—Lucio Costa and Robert Burle Marx—an urban planner and a landscape architect respectively. That was a special feeling for me to explore the city they created from scratch—walking towards large squares (under the sun and with no shadow), residential blocks called Super Quadras (full of nature on the contrary), and even visiting some of the buildings.
What I’ve learned from Niemeyer’s creations is that minimalism and simplicity are great but at the same time, there has to be an idea behind it. The Contemporary Art Museum in Niteroi built in 1996 and mistakenly perceived as UFO saucer, in reality, was inspired by nature—it’s a shape of the flower that grows from the ground.
Also, I’m in love with his accurate and brave relationship with color. Like Ibirapuera Auditorium in San Paulo with an instantly noticeable red shape that invites you to enter. Or the game of color from sunlight going through ceramic tiles when you enter the Cathedral in Brasilia.
Actually, not only Brasilia has architectural masterpieces to suggest to you. I saw unique museums, churches, and other monuments from different eras in San Paulo, Rio, and Niteroi. Another thing I’ve started to discover during my visit was…
Brazilian mid-century furniture design
Hey Eames, here’s a competitor to your popularity! While visiting CCCB in Brasilia (Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil), I’ve bought a small book with the pics you see below, and I fell in love with the materials, lines, curves, and aesthetics of these chairs. Especially, when there’s a connection with nature in this tropical world.
It’s been a long time since I’m a fan of the 60’s era and this small discovery, in particular, adds one more chapter to my library. The name I already know is an Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi. Now I’m dreaming to visit her house in San Paulo named “Casa de Vidro” (“Glass House”).
Graffiti art
In South America, graffiti is more than just a wall painting. I’d name it as a professional work of art which, sometimes, has a short period of life. One of the reasons it’s that popular in the continent might be a wealth inequality and graffiti is one of the ways to showcase the protest.
What I’ve learned from observing this urban element is that unique style makes you instantly recognize the artist. Like the colors and geometrical shapes bring the message it’s Eduardo Kobra’s works.
What makes graffiti unique is its’ vulnerability. You never know how long the work will exist.
Walking the streets sometimes I got a feeling I’m in the artistic reality. And one more city that definitely gets the same mark is…
Buenos Aires
I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback about this city at the same time I didn’t prepare at all for this part of my adventure. Let it be, I thought.
Having no high expectations is always the best traveler's attitude and from the first days of staying in Buenos Aires, I started to fall in love with it. I perceived it as a bright city both in architecture and nature, alive city where the cafes and bars are full of people who are enjoying their time together. I fell more secure there even though it could be an illusory feeling. I might have seen this city the same way I had seen Barcelona on my first visit 10 years ago—a big bright city where there are so many cool things to discover and you’re happy to be there.
Buenos Aires is also known as “Paris of South America” thanks to its very similar Haussmann-style buildings. Another remarkable element I’d say are green areas, squares, and parks where you’ll meet locals with dogs. Lots of dogs — this city is a real dog lover (and so am I). Bright murals and graffiti add a pattern to the city, at least when it comes to the most famous neighborhood, Palermo.
Nature power
I guess, this chapter doesn’t need any explanations, you can get the idea simply by observing these pictures from Iguazu falls.
Oh wait, I’ll add one more comment. When I had my flight from Rio to Foz do Iguaçu and we were flying over Iguaçu National Park, that was already a spectacular moment seeing “a field” of greenery down below.
So, what are my impressions in general? I feel like that month spent in South America lasted much longer and I still haven’t realized all of my feelings. It was overwhelming, surprising, new to me reality. There’s so much more to discover in most of the places I visited and so many more new locations and countries to see next time like Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.
Rio? That was a dream come true, a huge milestone. The moment I was riding in a taxi from the airport and the driver proudly explained some areas of the city to me. “Copacabana”, he said. Gosh, before I only saw it on the pictures.
The designer in me was happy to perceive those surroundings consist if not of bright colors then bright sunlight on the surfaces. Apart from visual surroundings, I guess, the design also consists of what you hear around. And I’m totally in love with Brazilian Portuguese language (a pure melody) and Argentinian Spanish (a sound with a character).
It’s true you have to be conscious to be safe as South America is known for some sort of a higher danger risk. But from my experience, I can say that being accurate and attentive is a solution. And double-check the district you’re planning to stay at.
One more really great thing is that most people I’ve met there even not knowing English are ready to help you. And while it’s not a fact of a visual side it does fulfill your stay significantly.
So, my dear reader, do you want to visit South America after reading this article?
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