All of this demonstrates the vibrancy of the Latin American immersive ecosystem, with festivals, labs, networks, and initiatives continually expanding. It is extremely stimulating and promising for the future of immersive creation in the region.
NICOLAS MERENS
Since 2021, ExpyLab has occupied a growing place in Paraguay’s immersive landscape. Born from a collaboration between the Alliance Française of Asunción and a pioneering group of virtual reality creators – notably behind Opus VR, the first 360° video film produced in the country – the program was created to meet an early-identified need: to build a supportive environment for the emergence of XR projects in a territory where such practices were still marginal.
Entirely free for selected artists, ExpyLab functions as a space for learning, creation, and professional development, enabling participants to develop immersive works while benefiting from exchanges with Latin American and international experts. In parallel, ExpyFest helps anchor these initiatives within a broader dynamic of circulation, visibility, and regional cooperation.
On the occasion of the fifth edition of the program, Nicolas Merens, Director of ExpyFest and ExpyLab, reflects on the evolution of the lab, the issues it addresses, and the ambitions guiding its development within the Latin American XR ecosystem.
This year marks the fifth edition of ExpyLab. What do you consider the most significant results and impacts of these five years?
Nicolas Merens: ExpyLab is a project that has grown throughout its five years of existence. In 2021, we awarded 10 grants, then 15 in 2022, 20 in 2023, 21 in 2024, and 22 in 2025. This growth has allowed us to support an increasing number of artistic projects.
Starting in 2022, we were also able to offer significant opportunities, such as a residency at the NewImages Festival, thanks to Claudia Montes’ invitation and the partnership we built. From 2023 onward, the first artist traveled to Paris, and we later offered a residency in Ecuador, another in Colombia, as well as paid internships in Buenos Aires. Today, we also have a residency in Germany.
What matters most to us is having succeeded in positioning ExpyLab within the international immersive landscape, and in building strong collaborations with institutions that still provide real opportunities for artists. This growth, these alliances, and the spirit of sharing are central to ExpyLab’s philosophy.
We are also very pleased to see projects continue to develop. Some projects that began at ExpyLab now benefit from international funding or co-production; others have already been completed and publicly presented.
In addition, we have broadened our approach: we moved from creating virtual and augmented reality projects to exploring a wider range of immersive formats – LBE, audio experiences, projects mixing animation and live action, among others. There has been significant growth in creativity and diversity within the lab.
What are your goals and ambitions for the future of the program, both in Paraguay and across Latin America?
N. M. – We have high ambitions, but our current priority is to expand our grants so that they are no longer limited to artists from Paraguay. We hope to offer them to artists from other Latin American countries, and potentially to the entire Ibero-American region. This is why we submitted ExpyLab to the Ibermedia program: we hope to receive a positive response this year – or next year – so that we can award grants to artists from other countries in future editions.
The idea is really to strengthen a Latin American creative space and to deepen our ties with new international partners in Europe, North America, Asia, and elsewhere, in order to develop more international residencies. We would also like Paraguay to eventually become a host country for international artists. For example, if a Paraguayan artist participates in a residency in France, we would like to welcome a French artist to Paraguay as part of an exchange.
Our second major ambition is to create a dedicated workspace for these residencies, a permanent space available throughout the year. This would allow ExpyLab, based in Paraguay at the heart of Latin America, to become a true hub for immersive creation.
What specific challenges do XR artists in Latin America face, and how does ExpyLab address them?
N. M. – The biggest challenge is funding. Throughout ExpyLab, we have seen exceptional creativity and remarkable potential among artists, but this potential is often limited by the lack of financial resources. Processes become much slower: for example, a work that began in 2022 is only now receiving its first funding.
Faced with this reality, it is essential to work collectively. This is why ExpyLab places collaborative creation at its core. Artists arrive without necessarily knowing each other, and within just two weeks, they must form groups and create a prototype together. Unity really creates strength: they manage to develop projects in a very short time, and the goal is for them to continue the development afterward.
We also continue supporting them after the lab. This support is entirely ad honorem: when artists need advice to prepare a funding application, equipment for a production stage, or connections with institutions or professionals, we assist them.
We truly aim to serve as a collaborative platform, helping overcome financial barriers, preventing projects from being abandoned, and opening new possibilities for their completion.
How would you describe the XR market in Latin America? Do you see emerging creators or distributors?
N. M. – Latin America is producing extremely interesting projects. Narratively, these are works that speak with a distinct Latin American voice – recognizable, with a unique style and a deeply collective spirit. Many projects address community, social, or cultural themes, and each year creators from the region represent Latin America in international spaces. The circulation of Latin American immersive works is increasing significantly, and it is very encouraging to see how well they are received internationally.
This year, ExpyFest offered clear proof of this dynamic: we welcomed guests from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Each representative and organization demonstrated strong commitment to expanding the Latin American XR industry, always with a marked spirit of collaboration.
Today, several key actors can be identified across the region: in Colombia, Narrar el Futuro, in Peru, Asimetría, in Ecuador, several universities, VR Day, and Mediamorfosis, in Argentina, Virtuality and Ventana Sur Tech – practically the “Cannes” of Latin America, now with a tech and immersive section, in Chile, the Biennale Medial, Mediamorfosis, and several active creative spaces, in Brazil, the São Paulo Curta Festival
There are also important regional festivals, such as Multiversos in Misiones, Argentina – a high-quality self-managed festival – and various labs and platforms emerging across the continent.
All of this demonstrates the vibrancy of the Latin American immersive ecosystem, with festivals, labs, networks, and initiatives continually expanding. It is extremely stimulating and promising for the future of immersive creation in the region.
This year, you launched a call for projects for ExpyFest. What types of projects were you particularly looking for in the 2025 selection?
N. M. – This year, for the first time, we launched an Ibero-American XR call. It was open to all types of immersive or interactive projects that integrate new ways of storytelling in the audiovisual field. We were looking for innovative projects, but above all for narrative innovation: more than technological innovation, it was the storytelling – the way media were used to create bold and original works – that interested us.
How do you see the evolution of ExpyFest, and what role do you want it to play within the Latin American immersive scene?
N. M. – In close connection with ExpyLab, ExpyFest’s goal is to strengthen this creative hub. The festival aims to be a space for connection, a meeting point where local artists can engage with international artists, and a bridge between Latin American works and the rest of the world. The ambition is to open new calls for projects and also offer residencies and industry sections around the festival to foster exchanges with other international networks.
You have supported many emerging artists through ExpyLab. Is there a success story or trajectory that has particularly marked you?
N. M. – Yes, one of the projects that has marked me the most is Tiflo Maze by Carlitos Cañete, a blind artist. In 2022, he presented a theatre play called Recientemente Cielo, which he later adapted into an immersive narrative. This adaptation has now become an interactive immersive experience supported by Johns Hopkins University, awarded at several international events, and now funded by Paraguay’s Ministry of Technology to advance production. It is an extremely ambitious project that will allow both sighted and non-sighted people to experience an immersive journey.
Another example is ¿Querés conocer el mar? by Jazmin Cebé, conceived during ExpyLab 2023, completed in 2024, and presented at the German Institute in Paraguay. It is an immersive installation offering a symbolic journey to the sea – a meaningful destination in a country with no access to the ocean.
There is also the immersive sound experience Q’chaichale by Mateo Sobode Chiqueno, an Ayoreo Indigenous artist from the northern Paraguayan Chaco, created in collaboration with artist Nara Garcia.
Finally, if you were to encourage a young creator to join ExpyLab or apply to ExpyFest, what message or advice would you give them?
N. M. – In this industry, we will often receive “no”. You must learn to turn these “no” into motivation and creation, and think collectively in order to overcome limitations.