Alberto Churba, synonymous with innovation, is the star of a major exhibition at the Decorativo

At the right time, at 92 years old, Alberto Churba will have his first retrospective exhibition . The designer, whose surname has become synonymous with the avant-garde of Argentine and Latin American design , will be the main focus of the exhibition Alberto Churba, Diseño Infinito . It opens on Friday, July 11, and will be on view at the National Museum of Decorative Art (MNAD) until October 12.

The exhibition, produced by Satsch Gallery and curated by Sandra T. Hillar and Wustavo Quiroga , also includes the participation of the author himself in the selection and authentication of the pieces, as well as in the exhibition design of the space.

It's worth noting that Churba's work echoes his background. 30 Years of Design , the 2008 publication, in which he reviewed his work from the 1960s to the 1980s.

And its purpose is to move away from the industrial and functionalist imperative that is usually proposed from the global north, to instead interpret the designer's work from his Latin American origins , in line with the works of other regional leaders, such as Lina Bo Bardi, Gego or Oscar Niemeyer.

At the same time, the exhibition seeks to revalue Churba as the founder of the family group revered as a design dynasty. Among others, he was followed by his nephews León, an architect who for more than three decades headed the Gris Dimensión studio, and Graciela, who has her own carpet store.

They are joined by their great-nephews; Martín, the man behind the clothing brand Tramando, now dedicated to textile art; Federico, a furniture designer at the helm of the eponymous firm; and Leticia, who did the same with Perfectos Dragones accessories, before later focusing on ceramics.

Educated in public education , first at the Manuel Belgrano National School of Fine Arts, then at the Prilidiano Pueyrredón and later at the Cárcova, Churba also dared to try his hand at dance , until he ventured into the field of design and stayed there forever.

He created furniture, decorative objects, crystals, as well as rugs and textiles for the home. Some of his iconic pieces are part of the collections of MoMA in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. , among others.

A pioneer in interior design not only in Argentina but also in South America, the founding milestone of his career was, without a doubt, the opening of Estudio CH , when he was not yet thirty years old.

The space, which resembled a five-by-ten-meter glass box on the corner of Cabildo and Juramento streets in the Belgrano neighborhood, was a sensation from the moment it opened in 1960. Not only did he install stained-glass windows that time made indelible, but he also held exhibitions and happenings there. He fostered an unprecedented coexistence between utilitarian design pieces and works of art, in line with other essential spaces for the golden generation of youth of the 1960s: the Museum of Modern Art and the Di Tella Institute.

At CH, he had the audacity to sell objects never before seen in Buenos Aires , brought from the United States and Italy, as well as from faraway places like Finland, Japan, and India. He also did the same with a vast selection of handicrafts.

With these actions, he anticipated, albeit in a more sophisticated way, the present marked by global trade to access objects from distant cultures, and at the same time the sustained current interest in ancestral knowledge, both in the furniture scene and, above all, in the clothing scene.

The curators point out that the exhibition at the MNAD is the result of the detailed follow-up they brought together with other collectors —one might say, Churba fans—who contributed to the exhaustive research and the appreciation of the pieces. Ultimately, Hillar and Quiroga made a commitment by uniting those interests that until now had been fragmented.

And beyond the solemnity that may be imposed by saying that this is a tribute to one of the fathers of Argentine design , on the contrary, it is presented as a celebratory exhibition of his creative validity.

Composed of five thematic axes, it will include works from the 1960s to the 1980s , followed by the epilogue of the digital paintings the artist created well into the 21st century . Although these latter were created using Photoshop, they are printed in high-quality, meticulous detail in Rome and can be viewed as unique pieces.

The iconic Cinta armchair is expected to be the centerpiece of the exhibition , with three versions of this design. The continuous-structure piece that unifies the seat, backrest, and armrest is featured at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and MoMA in New York . In fact, last year it was featured in the exhibition Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980 , which was held at the American museum.

The same expectation is already generated by the blown crystals that will be displayed in the mirror-lined room , which once served as the ballroom of the Errázuriz Alvear family palace, where the MNAD is now located.

These pieces date back to 1972, produced in partnership with Cristalería Querandí and working with artisans. A system of primary colors to which the designer added opal white and black to generate diverse ranges, overlays, and transparencies. These objects engage with the Scandinavian tradition that Churba admired and sold at CH.

This core work promises an explosion of color . In short, as he explains in his book, it is precisely in color that he found his protective bubble. At the same time, it will surely be a delightful backdrop for Instagrammers' photographs.

Also on display will be around twenty rugs produced by the firm Darlo y Primi. Hand-loomed , with 160,000 knots per square meter, each rug takes up to three months to complete. The reasons? They transpose processes from optical painting and geometric art into textile design. How? By creating variations in pile height, the color palette, and by incorporating gradients and modulations.

A wide range of his textile designs will also be on display. Just as he had been involved with fabrics since his adolescence, arranging and combining them in his family's business, that interest returned with a vengeance when he partnered with the Alpargatas factory . These products, which could be used to upholster an armchair or as beach blankets, were marketed at an affordable price, in contrast to his usual works aimed at high-income consumers.

In fact, that collaboration exemplifies how Churba managed to democratize signature design for the masses . Later, in the 1980s, he revisited textiles in a project for the Swiss company Nef-Nelo. He developed pieces that were sold in Japan, Europe, and the United States.

And if Infinity is the name of the fabric that launched the collection for Alpargatas, it's no wonder that this term is incorporated into the exhibition's title. Once again, Churba will prove inexhaustible, pushing the boundaries of the disciplines he explores, transcending the function of the objects he designs, and, above all, embarking on a new conquest. This time, he will do so in the museum, for the emotional memory of his contemporaries and as a flash of innovation for future designers.

Alberto Churba, Infinite Design, at the National Museum of Decorative Art (Av. del Libertador 1902) from July 11 to October 12, can be visited Wednesdays through Sundays, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. with free admission.