Na Luta, pela Autonomia: A Inflexão de Aloisio Magalhães na História do Papel Moeda - O Design por trás do Objeto

Abstract

This study wants to verify how Design knowledge and practice can empower a specific industrial sector, in favor of a country, its technological development, its social economy and its cultural survival. Banknotes are, at first, the most massive product of all (every single person worldwide has a sample in his pocket); second, it reflects the identity of country or a region; and third, it is a highly complex product, regarding its technology and symbolism. To these three reasons for its study we add the peculiarity of this product's trajectory in Brazil, whose historical apathy was broken in 1970 by Design -concept and methodology, instrument and knowledgethrough Aloisio Magalhães's artistic and strategical talents. His three projects and his role in this sector in Brazil along 15 years led this country into an arduous search for autonomy, facing strong and long lasting traditionalists and conservative forces, national and international, on this industrial production segment so special and unique. In the bulge of a large political, technological, and economic enterprise undertaken by the Central Bank and Brazil's Mint during the 1970s, in about 10 years we turned out from being importers to exporters of paper money, with all the economic and political advantages of this second position. Moreover, this conquest was reached through design innovation in form, use and product's technology, radically changing and updating its language as an utilitarian and social artifact. This work also opposes the parallel process lived by a neighbour country, Argentina, showing how they have been autonomous in this field since 19th century, but with no direct influence from Design, as happened in Brazil, despite Argentine's fertility on the Design field. It is at stake the role (or roles) of the designer in articulating a community's productive autonomy, economic independence, and cultural identity.