Cardboard books decorated with colorful markers and sequins depicting Latin American stories grace Doe Library’s new “From Cartonera to Cordel: Aesthetics of Caribbean and Latin American Book Art” exhibit.
Located in the entry hallway of Doe, the exhibit — which is open from March 24 to Aug. 31 — showcases handmade books called “cartoneras” and “cordel” chapbooks which were published during times of economic hardship in Latin America.
According to the main curator of the exhibit, Liladhar R. Pendse, librarian for Caribbean and Latin American studies, and for Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies, the literature displayed emphasizes “creativity, resourcefulness and cultural traditions.”
Pendse hopes to convey how diverse the genres and aesthetic of Latin American and Caribbean “cartoneras” and “cordel” chapbooks were by displaying the primary artifacts.
While visiting Brazil years ago, Pendse first saw the booklets strung up on display at a local newspaper stand. That was where he discovered “cordel” booklets, which convey social messages through stories of folklore and historical events. His love for the art form prompted him to start collecting “cartoneras” and “cordel” books, and he wanted to display the books to share with the Berkeley community.
“Money is a scarcity and not many people can afford to buy mainstream books, so this is an alternative knowledge product,” Pendse said.
Pendse hopes when students see the books made from cardboard, recycled paper and discarded materials they can understand “the role of publishing in preserving cultural identity and resisting traditional industry norms.”
A specific poem Pendse highlighted was a “cartonera” by a young poet which depicted the image of a bloodied tampon. The poet created the book to protest the lack of necessary hygiene products in Cuba.
Pendse said he intended for visitors of the exhibit to observe that the people of Latin America and the Caribbean wanted to make literature accessible to everyone, especially through financial hardship.
“Somebody else’s garbage is somebody else’s treasure. And recycling is a sort of a green technology,” Pendse said.
Along with Pendse, Aisha Hamilton, Doe Library’s creative project manager and designer, also helped design the exhibit, alongside graduate students studying Latin American literature.
Pendse has been collecting some of the books in the exhibit since 2018 from individual “cartonera” producers and Latin American book dealers, with previous Caribbean and Latin American studies librarian Carlos Delgado having purchased some of the earlier “cartonera” items.
“We decided to hold the exhibition in Doe Library because it houses all the materials displayed in our cases,” Pendse said in a written statement. “Besides, Doe Library serves as one of the centers for intellectual fermentation and is at the crossroads of student foot traffic, given its proximity to several departments and inviting study spaces.”
