Leonardo Aranda

Artist, Philosopher, Programmer

Artist statement

Technology is a reflection of us that can be narrated as both an epic and a tragedy. My work focuses on exploring the politics of technology and its effects on today's society. Although my main media are electronics and computational code, my approach to each of my projects is tactical, so there is no pre-definition of the techniques to be used in each piece, rather the process itself guides the results. My approach to artistic creation is through an investigative process that attempts to link practice with theory, seeking to nurture projects with layers of meaning where history, philosophy, and computational thinking coalesce.

My artistic research processes usually lead to interdisciplinary collaborations and participatory processes that seek to generate transversal dialogues about the current impact of technology in our society. In aesthetic terms, my work tries to generate a situated imaginary of technology that decenters the hegemonic ideas and images of it imported from the West, and approaches the Latin American artistic tradition. The exploration of vernacular technologies, obsolete objects, baroque aesthetics and artisan processes of technological manufacturing are some of the processes that inform my work.

I am a fervent believer that the master's tools can dismantle the master's house. The main motivation behind my work is to encourage discussions about the impact that technology currently has on our societies, generating situated knowledge and reflections that focus on the Latin American context. At the same time, I am interested in providing tools that can operate both in the artistic field and in the field of social struggles in the region. Finally, I am interested in proposing ways in which art can provide a critical sense to current social changes.