Could design be reimagined as a care practice? This question lies at the core of Alter-Care, a journal edited by Cherry-Ann Davis and Nina Paim, on behalf of Futuress for the 2021 Porto Design Biennial. Acknowledging the violent colonial entanglements of Portugal, the duo populated the issue with the ideas of Brazilian designers, artists, curators, and thinkers who are deeply committed to inclusivity, participation, and collaboration: Zoy Anastassakis and Marcos Martins wrote about their experience of co-directing ESDI, the Industrial Design University in Rio de Janeiro; in a long-form interview, curator Keyna Eleison discusses the violence embedded in Eurocentric notions of care; Indigenous artist and designer Denilson Baniwa imagined how Rio would look through forest regeneration—interweaving existing infrastructure and Indigenous knowledge—and finally, the editors Cherry-Ann and Nina co-wrote Does Design Care? problematizing design’s recent interest in care!
