Morse Library Cartoneras Exhibit

Spanish 210: Spanish in Dialogue with the Environment unveiled the Morse Library Cartoneras exhibit in early February. The exhibit features 22 cartoneras made by students in the class, each one informative about environmental topics ranging from endangered wildlife to Beloit and pollution.

“Cartoneras emerged as a grassroots publishing movement in Latin America, utilizing cardboard  from the streets to create books that uniquely combine art and literature,” the informational blurbs from the exhibit explains. Importantly, “cartoneras” are different from “cartoneros”; the former refers to the booklets made from reused cardboard, and the latter translates to “waste pickers,” a popular job In Buenos Aires after the 2001 economic crisis. The two go hand-in-hand, as the practice of creating cartoneras began in 2003 in Buenos Aires, alongside the rise of cartoneros.

Each cartonera in the Morse Library exhibit is made with recycled materials, and the printed pages are hand-bound with yarn. These pieces are reverently reflective of original artists’ intentions. Per the exhibit, artists Javier Barilaro and Fernanda Laguna are credited with the creation of cartoneras, as well as the creation of art collective Eloísa Cartonera. Barilaro and Laguna collaborated with cartoneros and bookmaking workshops to continue producing cartoneras.

The Cartoneras exhibit will be on the second floor of the Morse Library until Feb. 28.

_{Featured image: Elisa Turner’27}