Conociendo los artefactos arrieros: Un viaje a lo esencial desde el diseño

Abstract

The objective of this article is to present elements of research that seek to characterize and recognize the technical and material properties of the objects used by the muleteers of the Laguna Laja-Huemules Biological Corridor of Niblinto, developed in an artisanal way, creating an archival and narrative record that allow an initial analysis. From this, we seek to initiate a material catalog available for new contemporary practices that link design and craftsmanship based on the permanent observation of human needs that are not only related to functional or practical aspects but also carry and transmit the values and narratives of society. The particular richness of these objects comes from an inherited tradition of knowledge of the environment, the cosmos, and animals in a wild and solitary context in the company of the horse, the dog, and the wind on long journeys through the mountain range or grazing in summer stays. In this way, the article pays particular attention to the symbolic dimension rooted in these pieces.