After being rained out in October of 2015, Luminaria held its second attempt at success. Held at the San Antonio Museum of Art on February 19th, Luminaria showcased a diverse spread of installations and performances ranging from energizing music to cutting-edge technology. Among the great selection of artists was the Convergent Media Collective.

Collective member, Andrew Valdez, fuses Latino culture, technology and art by laser printing cultural symbols onto a non-traditional canvas, a tortilla. “Tortillas and Technology is a project that showcases how Latino culture can be integrated with technology and art” said Andrew. “The simplest ideas are usually the most effective ones and I’m glad we are able to share this with the San Antonio community.”

With their high-tech equipment in tow, including tortillas, the collective set up in the corner of the SAMA courtyard and began to prepare for the night. The collective came equipped with a one-stop print station, where the guest’s picture would be snapped and then, printed on a tortilla. As the crowd began to pour in, people of all ages and backgrounds flocked to the exhibit with curiosity. The collective members were able to educate each and every person, explaining how the laser cutter functioned and the meaning behind the exhibit.

Overall, Tortillas and Technology was a huge success. 170 photos were taken, of which 50 were printed, along with a countless number of people who experienced the creativity and passion the collective shared. For those that missed an opportunity at a personalized tortilla, 10bitWorks offered the guests a chance to stop by their location and snag a custom tortilla at their convenience.

The integration of Latino culture in Tortillas and Technology was a modern way of sharing Latino culture displayed in inanimate objects. It’s stories like these that in turn, inspire others to learn more about other cultures or their own. Tortillas and Technology, was a great way to learn about these cultural symbols and representations of art and technology fusion.

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