Album: Interview with Diego Valiña

Up: Pages de la publicación Otso, designed by Album. Credit: courtesy of the author.

If all the world's roads lead to Rome (and excuse the cliche, has a goal), could say that all roads Site (at least we take in BA Inspiration) lead to Album. Directed by Diego Valiña, this study did graphic design sites of many initiatives that we talked about, including Pesqueira, Molde, Nido, Mono Blocks and Cobra, among others.

Valiña is he who founded and directed Panda, a virtual gallery that for three years provided the very best art ‘emergent’ Buenos Aires. If they keep this site will have noticed the many references to it, that led us to artists like Alejandro Musich and Guillermina Baiguera, to name a few.

Both points have led us to be interested in what you are doing the designer at this time and invite you to share your impressions in this interview. Valiño habla, then, on what you learned from Panda, Album is why different, graphic design in Buenos Aires, and the city's favorite places.

BA Inspiration (BAI): Panda did for three years, What left you?
Diego Valiña (DV): Very good memories and experiences, I met very interesting people and places by Panda, notably by organizing some samples in galleries and fairs. After three years, I got tired of updating the website. From the large growth of exhibition spaces in recent years there (Flickr, Blogs, etc.), Web gallery is no longer as relevant to me.

BAI: Your current focus is the design studio Album, How would you describe?
DV: Album is the name under which I gather my design work, five years ago I've been working under that name. Currently I specialize in web design, and plan to be adding editorial design commissions. As described by, I could say I'm looking for an austere form, simple, functional, readable, balanced and noble traits. I think what characterizes the study is the friendly and honest with the principal, and interest in what he does. Understand each assignment as a team, dealing with customers with sincerity and I do not agree with a project if it posed no interest to me.

BAI: Album done work for artists and designers who have something in common (in my opinion, something of an aesthetic very slow and clear). Do you recognize any current or movement in this group and you?
DV: I think that one thing in common has to do with what I said in the previous. I need to feel close to the principal, have some affinity, I think is the best way to work, usually do so in projects related to artistic or cultural circuit, that is where I feel most useful. I do not think the designer who can solve absolutely everything no matter why or for whom.

BAI: What are you working on right now Album?
DV: In the development of sites for Mono Blocks, Gravinese Diego (BAI interview with him here), Gabriel Said and Consortium. In a photo book Cristian Nunclares and Angeles Peña, and some other publishers' own web projects are in progress and I can not advance.

BAI: In recent years several studies and proposals appeared graphic design, How do you see the scene in Buenos Aires?
DV: Actually I see very few new studies challenging proposals, I see many styles imported. I do not like, I find it ineffective. Moholy-Nagy denounced in his time that neither education nor the production were of high aspirations, or the desire to create products that satisfy self and society in a mutually complementary. I think that's still happening. Although there are always exceptions, clear. From here I like the work of Alejandro Ros, Cesium Cesar Andres Sobrino (who also to be an artist directed Simplestudio), are not really new. And among the greatest ever admired a Tomas Maldonado.

BAI: Finally, Live in Buenos Aires "?, What is your corner / place / tent favorite?
DV: Yes, I live in Buenos Aires. I like the Xul Solar Museum, Cobra, Taiwan, International Argentina, L’épi, The Black Cat, The Pennant, Pipi Cucu, Casa China supermarket in Chinatown, Casa Polti, the Goethe Institute, Malba, El Galpón, Mono Blocks, Net, Krishna, the Sala Leopoldo Lugones del Teatro San Martín, Arevalito, Molde, Pesqueira and the Faculty of Arts. I also like the Plaza Castelli, which is near where I live, and, lately, I love going to bookstores and dietary balance.

To learn more about Diego and his work Valiña, can enter the site Study Album. Coming Soon, the designer will do a workshop called Cobra Books View Modes, which also left a link below.

Links:
EstudioAlbum.com.ar
View Modes Workshop