La Linterna

La Linterna is a traditional printing press/graphic workshop located in the San Antonio neighborhood of Cali. It is not just an old printing press: it is a cultural beacon that resists the digital age with old machines, ink, lead type, rollers, linoleum, engravings, and the soul of several master printers.

It was originally a workshop that old printers used for newspapers, street posters, brochures, etc., but over the years (and crisis after crisis), it went through very hard times. This has not dethroned it: on the contrary, many young hands, designers, urban artists, and lovers of the craft have joined in to keep it alive.

They have presses that could be in a fully functional museum: Reliance press (USA, 1890), Marinoni (France, 1870), movable type, linoleum engraving. Seeing how these iron monsters, these ancient gears, continue to print is like seeing time standing still but breathing.

There are master printers with decades of experience (Olmedo Franco, Jaime García, Héctor Otálvaro, among others) who teach and share their knowledge with contemporary graphic designers, illustrators, and urban artists. This mix creates something very powerful: tradition + experimentation.

It's not just about making posters for events; the poster has gone from being an advertisement to an artistic object. They have special collections—tributes to cinema, rock, salsa; posters with personality, rare colors, textures. Each piece has imperfections that make it unique. 

It has survived bans, advertising laws, economic crises, the pressure of digital technology. And that has given it character. It is not simply a nostalgic rescue; it is a necessity to maintain the cultural fabric, the graphic memory of the city.

La Linterna is worth visiting because it's rare to find a place that combines craftsmanship, living history, cultural resistance, and contemporary art so well. Because it reminds you that not everything good has to come from a digital archive. Because it inspires you: seeing what passionate people can do to keep something beautiful alive. And also because, in times when everything is polished, metallic, and ready for quick consumption, going to La Linterna means slowing down, contemplating, savoring imperfect beauty.

If you go to Cali and are interested in art, design, culture, or simply something authentic, this is a destination you should not overlook. It is one of those places that makes you love the city even more.