How to design a revolution
By Charlotte Stace
The Disseny Hub Barcelona welcomes a new exhibition, “How to Design a Revolution: The Chilean Road to Design”. It focuses on graphic and industrial design during Salvador Allende’s government in Chile (1970-1973). This period marked a rare moment in history where a socialist revolution was democratically chosen, prompting a national effort to apply design across society in alignment with socialist ideals and democratic values.
The exhibition, first shown in Santiago to mark 50 years since Chile’s 1973 military coup, showcased both original works and reproductions. These designs were part of state efforts to democratise culture, reduce reliance on foreign technology, and tackle pressing social issues, aiming to reshape Chilean society through practical design.
One of the most notable pieces in the exhibition is the first complete and functional reconstruction of the Cybersyn operations room, a project for networked communication between the country’s industries to enable participatory management of production, a landmark in cybernetic history.