Casa Zirio presents the solo project IALUNA 2.0 by Javier Vanegas, winner of the 2023 National Photography Prize. IALUNA merges the word Aluna (goddess of Kogui cosmogony) with the acronym A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). This hybrid name represents a new form of syncretism, resulting in a dialogue where ancestral and contemporary technological thought converge.

Since 2019, Vanegas has been developing a photographic series in which he creates synthetic images derived from the myths and legends that make up the Kogui cosmogony. Using the clorotype technique, he reveals these images on a fabric made of coca leaves known as goné, incorporating its ritualistic element. The “photo-synthesis” images, created through artificial intelligence and the jayo (coca) leaf, aim to preserve Kogui imagery while amplifying the cosmogonic and ancestral knowledge of Indigenous communities. Simultaneously, they reframe and reclaim the coca leaf as a pillar of their worldview.

In this context, weaving becomes an action executed through thought, materializing lightweight architectural constructions, garments, and bags while intertwining the community’s shared emotions and affections.

In parallel, Vanegas integrates another series featuring images of children illuminated by the screens of their mobile devices, highlighting how this technological disruption has transformed their daily lives. These images contrast with the nocturnal darkness of the Sierra, where electricity and lighting are scarce.