Latente
As a final project for Editorial Design, we developed Latente, a magazine concept dedicated to highlighting both established and emerging artists from Latin America whose work reflects the region’s cultural heritage, creative resistance, and contemporary transformation. Conceived as a prototype and passion project, Latente was designed with the intention of becoming a biannual publication, each issue centered on new voices and practices that connect art with social, political, and territorial realities.
The editorial premise positions artistic expression as a form of cultural preservation and active commentary. A central claim of the magazine is to speak critically about the effects of globalisation and gentrification currently impacting many regions; particularly Spain, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, where local income levels often do not keep pace with rising living costs driven by foreign investment, tourism, and external buyers entering the housing market. As rents and property values increase, long-standing residents are frequently displaced or forced to relocate because affordable living conditions are no longer available. This tension between cultural richness and economic pressure has also entered contemporary music and popular discourse, notably referenced by Bad Bunny in his album DTMF, reinforcing how widespread and emotionally charged the issue has become.
From a design perspective, Latente was developed to remain visually and materially close to a Latin American graphic identity. The art direction favors bold typography, saturated and expressive color palettes, and high-contrast imagery treated with subtle grain and texture to evoke tactility and immediacy. Layout rhythms were intentionally dynamic, balancing density and openness to mirror the publication’s thematic tension between heritage and disruption. To reinforce its artisanal character as a collectible editorial object, the prototype was produced with kettle stitch binding and a visible, colourful thread, emphasising craft, process, and individuality alongside the cultural narratives it presents.
Editor: Larissa Sophie Steinhauser, Carlos Solines & Sofia Okula
Printing: Paperam
