The works were presented at the official showcase of the 5th edition of the International Festival Films on Arts ARCA, a film festival that, through feature films and documentaries, explored the dialogue between cinema and the visual arts—from their origins and evolution over time to the prominent artists behind each work of art. The festival took place from January 10 to 16.
The exhibition featured a total of 14 works created by students in the Design, Art, and Technology program and the Bachelor’s in Multimedia Design program at the School of Design, as well as by students in the Bachelor’s in Audiovisual and Film Communication program at the School of Communication.
The initiative was rounded out by inviting students to participate inARCA Conecta, a forum for exchange with local and international filmmakers and artists, strengthening the link between academic training, cultural production, and career development, while also opening up opportunities for future collaborative projects.
Each piece of digital art was created as part of the course “Workshop on Audiovisual Production with AI,” taught by professor and filmmaker Diego “Parker” Fernández, and was inspired by the museum’s collection. The project was coordinated by Fabián Barros, M.A., academic coordinator of Design, Art, and Technology.
Parker noted that the experience “was extremely enriching, as the students faced evaluation by the ARCA festival’s programming team.” He also emphasized that the experience “went beyond the academic assessment I could provide as a teacher, because it was a real professional challenge with positive outcomes.”
Learn more about the
's Bachelor's Degree in Design, Art, and Technology
Recognition for Outstanding Work
During the closing ceremony, the film festival honored Parkerwith the Award for Best Sound Post-Production for the feature film *Buscando a Clara*.
The film follows Franco, a 40-year-old musician who wakes up after a night of partying to discover that Clara—his guitar and inseparable companion—has disappeared. As time runs out and a pivotal opportunity for his career approaches, Franco embarks on a race-against-the-clock search through the city, following clues that bring him face-to-face with old conflicts, past debts, and the ghosts of a band that broke up years ago.
Along the way, the external search becomes an inner journey, where only by confronting oneself can one find a way out.
“This film was shot in just nine days by a small crew, recapturing the artisanal and playful spirit of cinema,” Parker said of the production.
At the same time, an ARCA honorable mention was awarded in the category of Audiovisual Innovation and AI Art to the project *Materia en tránsito* by Alexandra Zeballos, a senior student in Design, Art, and Technology, inspired by Pablo Rasgado’s work *Mural* (2019).
The project offers an audiovisual interpretation of the artwork, exploring material memory and ruin through reused architectural fragments. Using a suspenseful narrative and abrupt camera movements, the piece examines the transformation of these remnants of a once-inhabited environment into a new symbolic configuration within the exhibition space.
The video serves as a bridge between the physical and the digital, expanding the interpretation of the mural into a sensory and poetic experience.
The dean of the School of Design,Oscar Aguirre, participated in the awards ceremony alongside an international jury composed of professionals from the audiovisual and technology sectors.
In turn, the dean accepted the award on behalf of Alexandra Zeballos, stating: “This recognition is a testament to her creativity, her commitment to learning, and her passion for technological arts, positioning her at the forefront of the creation of new AI-powered narratives—a driving force and defining characteristic of our School of Design.”
Student projects
In addition to the winning entry, the following students were also recognized:
- Bruno Zecchi, inspired by *Ombú, Bañados de Rocha* by José Risso.
- Federica Nieto, based on Ernesto Vila’s work *Untitled*.
- Francisco Abásolo, inspired by *Untitled* by Salustiano Pintos.
- Clara Benvenuto, based on *Let's Play in the Forest* by Janinne Wolfsohn.
- Dana Gorayalde, inspired by Pablo Atchugarry’s *La Piedad*.
- María E. Kachadourian, for 10 or more guests, by Linda Kohen.
- Giuliana Bagnasco, inspired by *Los ojos* by Ignacio Iturria.
- Pilar Achard, based on Julio Le Parc’s *Mobile Sphere Orange*.
- Rocío Pato, inspired by *Totem* by Juan Bautista “Pachi” Firpo.
- Sofía García, based on Daniel Escardó’s *Brotto P/A*.
- María Paz Cioli, inspired by Pablo Atchugarry’s *La Piedad*.
- Tomás Fort, based on *Testigos* by Nicolás Vidal.
- Valentina Damiani, inspired by *Madre Cava* by Gonzalo Fonseca.
All the works were developed through a sustained process of research, technical experimentation, and creative production, bridging academic expectations with professional standards in the cultural sector.
In all cases, the focus was on respecting the original works and their creators, while exploring the original concepts behind those works and their artists in greater depth.
The event provided an ideal opportunity to forge collaborative ties with the creative community present at the festival, through ongoing dialogue with the ARCA team, which particularly highlighted the rigor of the process, the alignment between intent and outcome, and the diversity of expressive approaches.