Camila's final undergraduate project was presented at the Psicología Al Sur Festival (Argentina) and at ExpyFest (Paraguay). She was also invited to serve as a mentor at the ExpyLab (Paraguay).
Psychology in the South Festival
The "Psicología al Sur" Festival took place on October 12 and 13 at the Konex Cultural Center in Buenos Aires. The event was organized by NeuroClass, an educational institution focused on neuroscience, psychology, and education.
The festival brought together more than 40 exhibitors from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and art in Latin America to explore the intersection between their disciplines. The event featured lectures, workshops, art exhibitions, fairs, and recreational activities.
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Camila's involvement came about thanks to the promotion of Emotia by the Uruguayan collective Arte, Neurociencia y Tecnología (ANT), of which Camila is a member. This connection led NeuroClass to discover her project.
That organization was interested in this aspect of psychology that can be combined with other disciplines, such as art and technology. My project had a lot to do with that because when I scan my brain states, I work with emotions.
Expylab and Expyfest
ExpyLab and ExpyFest, two events organized by Expy E.A.S. in collaboration with the Alliance Française of Asunción, took place from November 4 to 28.
Expylab is a laboratory for immersive experiences that, in its fourth edition, brought together 15 students over the age of 18 from different parts of Paraguay.
According to the event’s terms and conditions, up to four creative technologists were selected, while the rest of the participants included screenwriters, directors, animators, 3D designers, dancers, visual artists, sound engineers, and professionals from other disciplines.
This program took place from November 4 to 23, during which mentoring sessions and workshops were held to help participants learn about tools related to immersive arts.
At the end of the residency, each student—either individually or in groups of up to four—developed a project that incorporated immersive technologies such as virtual, augmented, and mixed reality.
During this phase, Camila served as a mentor for the projects, alongside four other international mentors. In addition, the lab received support from nine mentors from Paraguay.
“I arrived in the last three days, just as the students were finishing up their projects, and I helped them iron out the final technical details and prepare a pitch to present their proposals.”
Leticia Almeida, who previously taught at the School of Design at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
After a three-week residency, the students presented their work at ExpyFest, a festival showcasing both the projects created by the participants and works by leading international figures in digital art. Camila Rodríguez was one of the artists invited to present Emotia.
The workshop participants received various awards, including scholarships for language study, residencies, and international internships, as well as guidance on the creation, distribution, and funding of their projects.
Digital Art in Latin America
According to Camila, the growth of digital arts is not only dispelling the perception that it is a niche phenomenon, but is also establishing itself as an increasingly influential trend in the region.
Traditional arts are becoming more of a niche, while digital arts are gaining more and more followers. They are growing at an impressive rate.
The growth of digital arts isn’t limited to Uruguay; it’s also taking place in other Latin American countries such as Argentina, Paraguay, and Ecuador: “We’re at a similar stage: still developing, but making progress and growing, ”Camila explained.
His future projects
As she was getting ready to present Emotia at ExpyFest, Camila decided to unveil her new project:
“I was setting up the projector to present Emotia when I realized it would be sitting there all day, even though the presentation would only last 20 minutes. So I suggested to the festival organizer that we install an art piece that would stay up all day.”
That is how he installed "Touch Me," an interactive projection equipped with infrared sensors that detect the depth of the space. This allows images projected onto a wall to change in response to the movement of hands as they pass over the surface.
“I kept changing the visuals being projected so that people could experience different visuals to interact with throughout the day,” the artist explained.
At the same time, Camila wants to explore topics such as artificial intelligence applied to digital art. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in robotics and artificial intelligence next year.
He is also developing an interest in certain digital arts, such as Stable Diffusion in Touch Designer. This technology allows users to create generative visuals in real time from existing images using textual descriptions.
“My idea would be to create live art using artificial intelligence, in order to alter or influence the visuals.”
About Universidad ORT Uruguay
Camila is proud to represent Uruguay at these festivals when she showcases Emotia.
This project reflects my experiences in Uruguay and everything I've learned since I was a child.
He also reflected on his time at Universidad ORT Uruguay in Universidad ORT Uruguay, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Design, Art, and Technology and discovered his passion for digital arts:
It’s impossible to talk about my work and what inspires me without mentioning ORT, because much of who I am professionally is thanks to my experience there.