The soul of objects

Why does design matter?
This is one of the central questions posed by Luján Cambariere, and from her answer many paths unfold. Design shapes our everyday lives at every moment—from the possibilities offered by something as simple as a spoon to air travel and the development of surgical instruments that protect our health. For this reason, the relationship between design and people is far more significant than we tend to assume.

This importance becomes evident when we assign a special, almost symbolic value to certain objects we call “talismans.” Objects do not merely serve a function; they carry energy, meaning, and a magic of their own—an aura.

From this perspective, Cambariere turns her attention to design from the Global South, uncovering the distinctive DNA that defines it: imagination as a driving force, the reuse of raw materials, and a commitment to conscious consumption.

A new paradigm has emerged in design, with Latin America at its forefront. It is grounded in the dialogue between craft and design, in fair trade and environmental responsibility, and in an ethical framework that takes precedence over aesthetics alone. The role of the designer has shifted because the context itself has changed—and today, the South has become the new North.

The Soul of Objects is an essential book for understanding the transformations currently reshaping the field of design and the evolving relationship between people and the objects that inhabit the contemporary world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Luján Cambariere. Journalist, cultural manager, and curator specializing in Latin American craft and design

Luján holds a BA in Journalism (Universidad del Salvador) and a postgraduate degree in Communication Design (FADU, University of Buenos Aires).

She has worked for more than thirty years in print, television, and radio media. She edited the M2 Supplement of Página/12 for 20 years, as well as Revista Barzón since its launch in 2005. She currently edits the craft and design sections of Spain’s Experimenta magazine and AD Latinoamérica.

As a curator, she has exhibited at some of the world’s most important museums and biennials, including MAD Museum and WantedDesign in New York; the V&A Museum and London Design Fair in London; MALBA in Buenos Aires; Museu da Casa Brasileira, A Casa – Museu do Objeto Brasileiro, and the Curitiba Biennial in Brazil; MAC in Chile; and the Saint-Étienne Design Biennale in France, among others. She also developed the “Saber Hacer” craft and design project and collection for the Vice Presidency of Argentina. She is the Latin American Craft Expert for Homo Faber Venice 2026.

She is also the first Latin American to contribute a chapter on Design from the Global South to the landmark The Routledge Companion to Design Research (Taylor & Francis Group, 2023).

Her work has received the Gota en el Mar Award for solidarity journalism, granted by the Germán Sopeña Foundation (2004, 2005, and 2007), as well as the Avina Fellowship for Journalistic Research on Sustainable Development (2006–2007).

She serves as a juror for numerous design competitions, currently including Andreu World (Spain), the Ibero-American Design Biennial (Spain), and the iF Design Award (Germany).

Luján currently lives and works in Berlin.

Index

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OPENING WORDS

CHAPTER 1. DESIGN AND HUMAN VALUES
A. THE LOVE OF OBJECTS
B. LIFE IS PLAY
C. CELEBRATING CREATIVITY

CHAPTER 2. THE MANA OF OBJECTS
A. OBJECTS AND THE SACRED
B. OBJECTS WITH SOUL OR “ARTE-SANO”

CHAPTER 3. THE ORIGINAL DNA OF THE SOUTH
A. THE SMALLEST RESOURCE THAT IS THE GREATEST: IMAGINATION
B. THE GIFT OF TRANSMUTATION
C. CONSCIOUSNESS VERSUS CONSUMPTION
D. TOWARDS AN ECOSOPHY

CHAPTER 4. DESIGNING IS COMMUNICATING
A. “KNOWING HOW TO MAKE AND MAKING OTHERS KNOW”
B. DESIGN IS THE MESSAGE
C. THE END IS PEOPLE
D. SATURATED WITH COMMUNICATION AND OBJECTS?
E. COMMUNICATING IN THE SOUTH’S SOUTH

CHAPTER 5. NEW SCENARIOS, NEW PARADIGM
A. DESIGN & CRAFT
B. OCIAL INNOVATION = GENUINE INNOVATION

BY WAY OF CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY