It's been a few since I wrote an article. I have been in holiday isolation/recovery mode. Last fall (that's September to December 2025 for the calendar purists), I dove headfirst into the Sincretismo Digital Art Residency hosted by the incredible Wait & Hope Foundation in Mexico City. If you've been following my X timeline, you know this was a game-changer for me, after years of residency rejections and weirdness, getting that acceptance email on October 6th had me ugly-crying in the best way. Shoutout to @Sinbadilmarino and the whole team for seeing something in my glitchy, AI-infused chaos and inviting me to join a cohort of boundary-pushing artists from around the globe.
Sincretismo wasn't just another program; it was a cultural immersion blender modeled after Stanford's residency program. We celebrated Día de los Muertos together, delved into Mexico's rich history, and tackled heavy sociopolitical convos that left us all a little raw but a lot more connected. Artists like @asherhoffman_, @real_Ifyarts, @opus_cula, @MitsiParis, @VisceralGlitch, @zhannetpodobed, @linneamoritznyc, @Maryam62095818, @Visheh_xyz, @TrendVAN, Vinit Agarwal, Coltan, and Emma Sam brought their unique vibes, creating a space where ideas collided like comets in the night sky (foreshadowing). Advisors including @alfrekjv, @anthonypetersa1, @Sankalibrado, @RubyRhizome, and others kept us grounded while pushing us to evolve. The residency even rekindled my love for reading amid the creative frenzy, and I'm thankful for that spark.
For my project, I channeled all that energy into "The Comet", a narrative-driven short film/music video exploring humanity's age-old perceptions of comets as omens, destroyers, or harbingers of change. I chose the Comet because of this negative connection we all hold and because at the time of the residency there was three comets going through our solar system, which I took as a huge sign.
My research dove deep into how comets have been scapegoated throughout history. Think about it: in ancient times, they were seen as messengers of doom. The comet of 1066 was interpreted as a sign of impending war, right before the Norman Conquest. During the Black Death in the 14th century, a comet was blamed for heralding the plague that wiped out a third of Europe's population. Chinese records from as far back as 3192 BC link comets to outbreaks of disease, while in medieval Europe, they were tied to everything from failed harvests to insurrections and even family feuds. Natural phenomena like comets and eclipses were feared as portents of disaster, often intertwined with religious beliefs that saw them as divine warnings.
But here's the twist in my piece: comets aren't the villains; our own divisions are. We've blamed these celestial wanderers for wars, plagues, and heartbreak since forever, but really, it's our inability to bridge divides that causes the chaos. There is still wars, famine and plagues when there is no comets in the sky. In "The Comet," I wove in this history along with how people have literally interpreted comets ultimately to show it doesn't divide us but illuminates the shadows we've ignored for millennia. It allows for real healing, discourse, and progress toward justice.
People blame technology for dividing us, making us more alone, destroying so much. There are valid issues with it all, but we have always been divided by ideologies, loneliness has always existed but before without the instant access to share this fact, while needless destruction was behind veils. In my view, technology has only illuminated what has been in the dark for so long, which this illumination gives way to actual healing, actual discourse, actual connection, and actual progress towards justice and therefore peaceful coexistence.
Those who demonize tech and AI and those of us who build and create with it for all the current ills in the world need to step back and take a long, hard look at themselves before projecting on it all. Many of us look into the mirror of technology and not only see a hope for a better future, but are actively trying to build it, because at the end of the day that’s what we embody in ourselves. Hope, survival, and faith and love in what we believe in greater than hordes of hate.
My biggest takeaway from the residency echoes this: syncretism doesn’t mean homogeny. We don’t have to all see the same way or even agree, but a little respect for each others’ lived experiences, cultures, and basic human rights can go a long way toward a future with less violence and suffering, and more living and prosperity for all. If we are all the universe observing itself, diverse perspectives are the desired natural order, and diversity of thought a divine expression.
Creating "The Comet" was my first foray into concepting something this massive: a fully immersive, audio-reactive visual experience that filled an entire space with pulsing visuals and sound. Never before have I made a work at such scale and length so strongly narrative-driven, and I was nervous to say the least. The feeling of having a vision in my head and seeing it exactly how I envisioned it, filling the space with visuals and sound, was surreal. I’ve dreamt a long time of creating such an immersive experience, and I’m so proud of achieving it.
The final presentation on November 30th was nerve-wracking, but seeing it come alive in December during the "Un Sueño Digital" exhibition in December? My heart was full after that night. I was having anxiety to go out, but it was worth it to see everyone and my immersive work. Thank you everyone who pours their souls into this everyday. Thank you every builder, degen, artist, creator, collector, investor, and dev who show up and does the work to build a better reality for everyone, even those who try to destroy instead of understand or help or take it all for themselves. Thank you everyone who continues to show up even with doubts. Thank you those who wield their power for the collective good. Thank you those who constructively criticize and give feedback when the systems being built fall short and those who listen with open minds and hearts.
This residency reminded me why I create: to build bridges in a world hell-bent on walls. Luddites might blame AI/Tech for our woes, villianize artists who use AI, but I know for me I hope my work helps machines (and therefore us) understand humanity better. I will continue to not only wait and hope, but talk and build and create and do how I can with renewed spirit and purpose (after a few more naps).
Comet Coined on Zora: https://zora.co/coin/base:0xfadbe7b1f5417010a263bbba44fa2e4106c83ef0?referrer=0x642149265624fb6af736524a09ffbe1718f077a5
🖤🌌 Empress Trash
It's been a few since I wrote an article. I have been in holiday isolation/recovery mode. Last fall (that's September to December 2025 for the calendar purists), I dove headfirst into the Sincretismo Digital Art Residency hosted by the incredible Wait & Hope Foundation in Mexico City. If you've been following my X timeline, you know this was a game-changer for me, after years of residency rejections and weirdness, getting that acceptance email on October 6th had me ugly-crying in the best way. Shoutout to @Sinbadilmarino and the whole team for seeing something in my glitchy, AI-infused chaos and inviting me to join a cohort of boundary-pushing artists from around the globe.
Sincretismo wasn't just another program; it was a cultural immersion blender modeled after Stanford's residency program. We celebrated Día de los Muertos together, delved into Mexico's rich history, and tackled heavy sociopolitical convos that left us all a little raw but a lot more connected. Artists like @asherhoffman_, @real_Ifyarts, @opus_cula, @MitsiParis, @VisceralGlitch, @zhannetpodobed, @linneamoritznyc, @Maryam62095818, @Visheh_xyz, @TrendVAN, Vinit Agarwal, Coltan, and Emma Sam brought their unique vibes, creating a space where ideas collided like comets in the night sky (foreshadowing). Advisors including @alfrekjv, @anthonypetersa1, @Sankalibrado, @RubyRhizome, and others kept us grounded while pushing us to evolve. The residency even rekindled my love for reading amid the creative frenzy, and I'm thankful for that spark.
For my project, I channeled all that energy into "The Comet", a narrative-driven short film/music video exploring humanity's age-old perceptions of comets as omens, destroyers, or harbingers of change. I chose the Comet because of this negative connection we all hold and because at the time of the residency there was three comets going through our solar system, which I took as a huge sign.
My research dove deep into how comets have been scapegoated throughout history. Think about it: in ancient times, they were seen as messengers of doom. The comet of 1066 was interpreted as a sign of impending war, right before the Norman Conquest. During the Black Death in the 14th century, a comet was blamed for heralding the plague that wiped out a third of Europe's population. Chinese records from as far back as 3192 BC link comets to outbreaks of disease, while in medieval Europe, they were tied to everything from failed harvests to insurrections and even family feuds. Natural phenomena like comets and eclipses were feared as portents of disaster, often intertwined with religious beliefs that saw them as divine warnings.
But here's the twist in my piece: comets aren't the villains; our own divisions are. We've blamed these celestial wanderers for wars, plagues, and heartbreak since forever, but really, it's our inability to bridge divides that causes the chaos. There is still wars, famine and plagues when there is no comets in the sky. In "The Comet," I wove in this history along with how people have literally interpreted comets ultimately to show it doesn't divide us but illuminates the shadows we've ignored for millennia. It allows for real healing, discourse, and progress toward justice.
People blame technology for dividing us, making us more alone, destroying so much. There are valid issues with it all, but we have always been divided by ideologies, loneliness has always existed but before without the instant access to share this fact, while needless destruction was behind veils. In my view, technology has only illuminated what has been in the dark for so long, which this illumination gives way to actual healing, actual discourse, actual connection, and actual progress towards justice and therefore peaceful coexistence.
Those who demonize tech and AI and those of us who build and create with it for all the current ills in the world need to step back and take a long, hard look at themselves before projecting on it all. Many of us look into the mirror of technology and not only see a hope for a better future, but are actively trying to build it, because at the end of the day that’s what we embody in ourselves. Hope, survival, and faith and love in what we believe in greater than hordes of hate.
My biggest takeaway from the residency echoes this: syncretism doesn’t mean homogeny. We don’t have to all see the same way or even agree, but a little respect for each others’ lived experiences, cultures, and basic human rights can go a long way toward a future with less violence and suffering, and more living and prosperity for all. If we are all the universe observing itself, diverse perspectives are the desired natural order, and diversity of thought a divine expression.
Creating "The Comet" was my first foray into concepting something this massive: a fully immersive, audio-reactive visual experience that filled an entire space with pulsing visuals and sound. Never before have I made a work at such scale and length so strongly narrative-driven, and I was nervous to say the least. The feeling of having a vision in my head and seeing it exactly how I envisioned it, filling the space with visuals and sound, was surreal. I’ve dreamt a long time of creating such an immersive experience, and I’m so proud of achieving it.
The final presentation on November 30th was nerve-wracking, but seeing it come alive in December during the "Un Sueño Digital" exhibition in December? My heart was full after that night. I was having anxiety to go out, but it was worth it to see everyone and my immersive work. Thank you everyone who pours their souls into this everyday. Thank you every builder, degen, artist, creator, collector, investor, and dev who show up and does the work to build a better reality for everyone, even those who try to destroy instead of understand or help or take it all for themselves. Thank you everyone who continues to show up even with doubts. Thank you those who wield their power for the collective good. Thank you those who constructively criticize and give feedback when the systems being built fall short and those who listen with open minds and hearts.
This residency reminded me why I create: to build bridges in a world hell-bent on walls. Luddites might blame AI/Tech for our woes, villianize artists who use AI, but I know for me I hope my work helps machines (and therefore us) understand humanity better. I will continue to not only wait and hope, but talk and build and create and do how I can with renewed spirit and purpose (after a few more naps).
Comet Coined on Zora: https://zora.co/coin/base:0xfadbe7b1f5417010a263bbba44fa2e4106c83ef0?referrer=0x642149265624fb6af736524a09ffbe1718f077a5
🖤🌌 Empress Trash
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