campo garzon: aunties in dis place

In December 2024, niceaunties participated in an art residency at Campo Garzón in Pueblo Garzón, Uruguay, alongside twelve other artists. The residency culminated in the 8th Campo Garzón Art Fest, exploring the theme UN/settled: Migration + Movement. Out of it came Aunties in Dis Place, an installation and video work about cultural displacement, adaptation, and what it means to arrive somewhere entirely new.

The project began with early morning walks through the village, documenting textured facades, wandering animals, and quiet moments of rural life. A video travel diary emerged, layering real environments with AI-generated aunties, transforming the village into an imagined space where reality and fiction intertwined.

niceaunties was given a large house to present the work, and what better way to announce an auntie's presence than with laundry? Large-scale auntie underwear, sewn by a local seamstress, hung outside as a bold, humorous visual statement. Inside, layers of translucent laundry sheets became projection surfaces, forming a maze-like path that visitors navigated to reach the main video work.

From the giant lingerie outside to the overlapping projections on eight layers of gauze, the installation mirrored the experience of arriving in a new place, where first impressions give way to deeper layers of understanding. The final 4.5-minute video served as both a travel diary and a reflection on displacement, migration, and the shifting perceptions that come with stepping into the unknown.

Aunties in Dis Place (2024)

As part of the residency, niceaunties developed Aunties in Dis Place, an installation and video work exploring themes of migration, cultural displacement, and adaptation. The project began as an open-ended inquiry—an attempt to observe and be influenced by local culture without preconceived notions. However, the experience of living in a new continent for the first time, without speaking the local language, and adjusting to the rhythms of rural life—amidst looming creative deadlines—became an unexpected challenge.

As an artist deeply familiar with transient spaces, niceaunties approached the environment with curiosity, but the realities of cultural and physical displacement soon surfaced. The artist and fellow residents, all visitors themselves, navigated the delicate balance between wanting to connect and feeling the urge to retreat. The work ultimately became a reflection on the experience of being a "visitor"—of crossing thresholds into unfamiliar territories and encountering the layers of a place and its people.

the process

The project’s development began with early morning walks through the village, documenting everyday sights—textured facades, wandering animals, and quiet moments of rural life. A video travel diary emerged, capturing these real environments and layering them with AI-generated aunties, transforming the village into an imagined space where reality and fiction intertwined. Some clips were created by training AI models on photos taken in the village, further blurring the lines between documentation and interpretation.

A bird perched on a wire in front of a clear blue sky with leafy branches.
A bird perched on a power line with trees and a blue sky in the background.

The installation itself played with ideas of visibility, boundaries, and layers of experience. niceaunties was given a large house to present the work—and what better way to announce an auntie’s presence than with laundry? Large-scale auntie underwear, sewn by a local seamstress, was hung outside, immediately marking the space with a humorous yet bold visual statement. Inside, layers of translucent laundry sheets became projection surfaces, forming a maze-like path that visitors had to navigate to reach the main video work.

Woman in black dress carrying a large tray of food into a dining room with large windows and wooden tables.
Colorful children's playground with animal-shaped spring riders, including giraffes and elephants, on a sandy surface with trees and outdoor structures in the background.
Two yellow dog-shaped seesaws facing each other in a park on a sunny day.
A large digital projection displaying colorful images of flowers, fireworks, and a person's face, with a person standing in front holding a device. The projection also includes the text "niceaurthis."

From the giant lingerie hanging outside to the overlapping projections on eight layers of gauze, the installation mirrored the experience of arriving in a new place—where first impressions give way to deeper layers of understanding. The final 4.5-minute video piece served as both a travel diary and a reflection on displacement, migration, and the shifting perceptions that come with stepping into the unknown.

Colorful display of various decorated balls and figures in a dimly lit room with a projection of people on a wall.
Clothes hanging on a line indoors, with a building and yellow flowers in the outdoor setting.

This project is part of an ongoing exploration into themes of cultural identity, movement, and the reimagining of personal and collective narratives through AI and installation art.

Below photos by niceaunties, Dario Invernizzi , Diego Weisz, Guillermo Fernandez

A woman with black hair and green highlights sitting on the floor with her head bowed, and a woman with brown hair in a ponytail sitting on a black chair, knitting yellow fabric in a room with a concrete wall, wooden panel, and a window letting in na
Bright image of a smiling cartoon-style smiling face of a large yellow character with black eyes and a wide mouth, surrounded by people in front of it.
Person pointing at a projection of a cute white cartoon animal with big eyes and smiling face on a wall, illuminated by bright light.
Person pointing at a large, illuminated spider on a digital screen.
Photo of colorful paper lanterns and decorations hanging on a line inside a building, with people reflected in the window.
People observing a large digital display showing a woman sitting among animals and farm animals in a field with colorful flowers.
Silhouettes of four people watching a large screen displaying a hot air balloon with two people inside it against a bright blue sky.
Three women are standing and observing through sheer curtains in an indoor space, while two young children sit on the floor nearby, with a rustic wall and large windows in the background.
Group of people sitting and standing in a dimly lit room watching a large screen on the wall.
A silhouette of a person wearing a cowboy hat standing in front of a colorful projection featuring a yellow sun and a blue circle.
Silhouettes of three people standing indoors, looking at a large screen displaying a sunny scene with trees and a white building, with reflections of the room visible on the screen.
Sketches of a flower arrangement, including measurements and notes, with a focus on a yellow flower and its components.
An indoor space with a floral-patterned fabric covered on a large surface, surrounded by yellow and orange fabric pieces, with plastic covering on the floor. There is a sliding glass door leading outside, and various items and fabric pieces are scatt
Yellow and white laundry hanging on a clothesline outside on a cloudy day, with green bushes and trees in the background.
Person standing in a grassy field with yellow flowers, holding arms outstretched in front of a modern building decorated with assorted colorful fabric and balloon decorations.
People setting up yellow and white fabric decorations on an unfinished concrete building with tall windows in a grassy area.
A person wearing a gray hat with a wide brim, black shirt, and teal hair stands behind a golden fabric frame with delicate white floral lace fabric. The scene appears outdoor with green trees and bushes in the background.
Colorful clothes hanging on a line above a field of yellow flowers in front of a concrete building.
Yellow and white laundry hanging on a clothesline outside the house with greenery in the foreground.
Group of ten people standing outdoors in front of a wall covered with ivy, with one person crouching in front, all in black and white.
A group of 13 diverse people standing and sitting in a grassy field with trees and a wide landscape in the background, in black and white.
Two digital screens displaying a landscape scene with horses and two people with suitcases, set in an airport or shopping mall interior with plants and storefronts.
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