Death in The Eyes of The World
Selection of posters of foreign participants in the competition: "To Death with a Smile"
Competition
The Mexican Museum of Design has been inviting people to attend the international competition and exhibition of posters on the theme of death for more than a decade now. Over these years, designers, students, teachers, professionals and people interested in the subject have taken part to promote the art of good design.
The Brazilian designer, Fabio López, shares his vision of Eternal Love.
The Canadian, Lucy Pisanava, showcases her piece, "The Tower."
Chris Carboni, from New York, finds in death the chance to be reborn.
"To Death with a Smile"
For some, death is something to smile at, as they feel they have led a full life and it is time to leave it behind. Many smile at the idea of passing into eternal life; others at the possibility of reincarnation. Some smile to reassure those left behind; those who are scared of death defy it. Some live with it daily; others revere it religiously. Most are afraid of it, but we are all very aware of it.
The idea of happy death also comes from China, through the work of Li Xu.
Taiwan sees death as something that can happen at any time. That is how Lien Chia-Lin interprets it.
Morteza Modaiemzadeh from Iran took part with this poster, which presents death as something as ordinary as a bowl of popcorn.
Design and Creativity
The competition aims to stimulate creativity which, in turn, allows us to glimpse the diversity and richness of languages in different cultures around the world, giving it a style and personal approach from each participant.
The Briton, Jack Coldicott, sees death as a race against time.
Because death always has busy days, and that is how the Italian Ariela Coco.imagines it.
Death
The theme of the competition may be a personal reflection, the meaning of death in every culture or country, even how we fear, celebrate, or overcome it.
In these foreign perceptions of death, there are similarities with the Mexican view, such as the Vietnamese Pham Thien Phu, who sees it as a rebirth.
International
Posters for the competition have been received from over 152 countries, including Iran, Canada, United States, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Poland, Italy, Greece, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Russia, India, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, South Africa and Peru, among others.
Interestingly, the terrifying image of death has been replaced by a more playful and fun one. From Hungary, this is how Dorottya Szabó sees it.
It is common to think of death as an escape, regardless of the culture or country in which we find ourselves. The Pole Piotr Karski interprets it like this.
Beliefs
Every country develops a different perception of death, according to its culture, religion, beliefs, or society. There are also different ways of worshiping death, with very different traditions in which the dead are remembered and honored.
To Death with a Smile (2013/2013) by Martin MüllerMUMEDI
Fighting death is not an option. And this is how the German, Martin Müller, expresses it.
Raise a glass to it and smile at it, because death is present. This is how the Spaniard, "Peret", celebrates it.
And the fact is that although we may try to ignore it, death is always present, no matter where in the world we are.
