Over two days, visitors and enthusiasts experienced immersive installations, XR performances, and audiovisual narratives that redefined the boundaries between the digital and the tangible. On 7 and 8 November 2025, the French Allliance (Alliance Française) of Asunción became the epicentre of artistic experimentation during EXPYFEST 2025, a festival where art, technology, and innovation merged in a unique celebration of creativity.
The festival marked the closing of EXPYLAB 2025, an intensive training and creation programme that has become a cornerstone of Paraguay’s creative industry. Since its creation in 2021, EXPYLAB has granted more than 70 full scholarships and 13 international residencies, impacting over 3,000 people nationwide. This year’s edition gathered 22 selected artists who, after two weeks of intensive work, presented their prototypes to an international audience and jury.
A bridge between learning and exhibition
The festival was conceived as an extension of the laboratory’s philosophy: fostering access to free creative education and giving artists the tools to explore immersive and technological storytelling.
“The EXPY Fest was born from the EXPY Lab so that artists from all over the country could create with new technologies,” explained Nicolás Merens, the 29-year-old organiser. “What we seek is to reach people for free. To allow them to tell their stories in new ways and reach wider audiences.”
This year, EXPYFEST hosted a diverse programme that combined domes, installations, hybrid projections, video-mapping, live concerts, and XR performances. Artists and creators from Paraguay, France, Argentina, Colombia, and Germany shared their work, creating a vibrant dialogue between cultures and disciplines.
Supported by the Embassy of France in Paraguay, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, and the Fundación Itaú. Also, national institutions such as the National Secretariat for Culture (SNC), National Directorate for Intellectual Property (DINAPI), and Centro Cultural Paraguayo Americano (CCPA), EXPYFEST reaffirmed its position as a regional hub for audiovisual innovation.
Awards and international opportunities
One of the festival’s highlights was the final pitch session, where the best projects received prizes to continue their development abroad. Winners earned residencies and placements in leading institutions, including: Fundación Itaú & Narrar el Futuro: access to the New Media Lab in Bogotá, Colombia. As well as Future Campus Ruhr UG: residency in Essen, Germany. Also, Realidad360° Argentina: a paid internship in Buenos Aires. And CCPA: three English scholarships. Lastly, ICPA: two German scholarships.
“These awards are crucial,” said Merens, “because they allow Paraguayan talent to grow professionally and internationally. It is not just about showcasing work here. It is about exporting creativity.”
A regional platform for creative innovation
EXPYLAB has been recognised by Meta & BID Lab as one of the ten most innovative communities in Latin America and the Caribbean (2023), and has been declared of cultural and scientific interest by several national entities. The initiative’s impact is now visible in the growing ecosystem of immersive art and extended realities in Paraguay.
The festival also strengthens ties between Paraguay and France, with continued support from the French Embassy and Regional Cultural Cooperation, alongside local institutions such as SENATUR, the Secretaría de Políticas Lingüísticas (SPL), and the Instituto Nacional del Audiovisual Paraguayo (INAP).
Voices from the festival
The first day began with excitement and anticipation as participants presented their immersive prototypes to an international jury. For Merens, the moment marked the culmination of months of work:
“The first day was really emotional because the participants finished their prototypes and presented them. We had an amazing turnout and 16 international guests who brought a lot of content and networking opportunities.”
Among the featured projects was Relatos Afrodiaspóricos (Afrodiasporic tales), led by the artist Amotas, who highlighted the importance of visibility and identity in contemporary narratives.
“Our project explores the experiences of three artists who only discovered their Afro-Paraguayan identity later in life,” Amotas explained. “We talk about their journey, their struggles and strength, and what it means to self-identify. The audience was very receptive.”
Virtual reality space in Asunción
Also present was Mundo VR, a virtual reality space in Asunción, which showcased Memorias de un Cinero and introduced Opus VR, the first virtual reality film experience available locally.
“People are getting more and more interested in virtual reality,” said Mario, a 41-year-old collaborator at Mundo VR. “We have seen great engagement with both artistic and interactive projects.”
Restaurant Les Voiles’ owner Eric Zamana, who is also the owner of Mundo VR, added: “We are thrilled to see so many people discovering immersive experiences. Beyond games, there are poetic, social, and documentary works that need to be seen. We will definitely be back next year.”
Two unforgettable days at EXPYFEST 2025
By the time the lights dimmed on Saturday evening, the halls and courtyards of the Alliance Française still buzzed with laughter. What began as a training programme four years ago has now become a beacon for creative innovation in the region. EXPYFEST 2025 showed that immersive art is not a distant future, it is happening here and now, in Paraguay.
“Every year we grow a bit more,” Merens reflected. “And what matters most is that we keep opening doors for artists, for audiences, and for new ways of storytelling.”
