Besatiopia – A Future-Slavic Bestiary:
What if the creatures from the bestiary were real?
Bestiopía is a speculative project that reinterprets symbols and beings from Slavic mythology in the context of contemporary and future challenges. It explores the potential of ancient beliefs using digital media—including AI-generated animations—to build a modern futuroslavic bestiary that is also uncanny: dynamic, ephemeral, and immersed in a post-human world.
Unlike many other mythologies, Slavic culture left no consistent visual canon of its creatures. Description becomes the key to imagining them—and imagination now serves as a modern prompt, a trigger for image and meaning. Bestiopía takes this ambiguity as its starting point, inviting a journey through time: beings from a possible future return to the past, embedding themselves in layers of cultural memory.
These mythic entities become symbols of our questions about humanity’s relationship with technology, the environment, and community. The project invites reflection on how heritage and fantasy might shape the future: as a utopia? dystopia? or protopia? And which of these do we need most today?
The works presented are illustrations, animations, and narratives situated along the axis of “future in the past”—shifting in time and space, but carrying stories with them.
Second phase: AI-generated digital visuals are translated into physical forms. They are transferred onto delicate, handmade paper infused with Polish plants, evoking the aesthetics of ephemeral papyrus with laser-burned digital engravings. This clash of algorithmic precision and material tactility becomes a point of reflection on how we can reinterpret familiar or half-forgotten cultural themes.
Forest Hag / Dziwożona
Forest Hag / Dziwożona
“Baba” in folk tradition refers to more than just an old woman. She is a nature-bound being—wild, self-reliant, sometimes protective, often feared. The Forest Hag doesn’t need humans—but humans must respect her.
Wild Woman of the Woods (Dziwożona) They say she chose the forest over the village. She goes feral. She goes quiet. She listens to animals, not people. Her body smells like bark; leaves and feathers cling to her hair. She doesn’t like being seen—but sometimes appears when someone crosses a line. Nobody knows if she comes to protect or to test. But she always has a reason.
Ever felt like something was watching you from deep in the woods—not with hostility, but with ancient curiosity?
Forest Spirits
In Slavic mythology, the forest is a magical space filled with the presence of many beings. This interpretation refers to a collective spirit. Have you ever felt watched in the forest—or simply not alone?
Żmij (the Slavic Serpent)
Żmij (the Slavic Serpent)
He doesn’t reveal his full form to everyone. For some, he is a guardian. For others, a punishment. They say that if you hear dry earth crack with no wind—it’s him. Still asleep, but stirring. His presence alone can sour milk and shrink pupils. Some pray for his protection. Others do all they can to avoid notice.
Does that feeling sound familiar?
and there is more….
Experimental Exhibition UANM MEXICO
Premiere: Centro de Investigación en Diseño Industrial UNAM
Location: Galería de la Biblioteca Luis Unikel, Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Experimental Exhibition
A conceptual presentation exploring speculative storytelling and visual narratives through a reinterpretation of Slavic mythology in a futuristic context. The exhibition includes illustrations, texts, symbolic depictions, and interactive descriptions that bridge past, present, and future.
It emphasizes transformation and the fleeting nature of non-verbal communication, referencing dreamlike states. Illustrations shift with time and surroundings, representing the evolution and reinterpretation of Slavic culture in the face of modern challenges. These changing visuals and interactive digital elements create a dialogue across temporalities, inspiring new perspectives on heritage and its role in shaping tomorrow.
Centro de Investigación en Diseño Industrial UNAM
(Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) is recognized as one of the leading universities in Mexico and Latin America. In the QS World University Rankings 2025, it ranks 94th worldwide.)
Venue:
Galería de la Biblioteca Luis Unikel
Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
“Experimental Exhibition”
This conceptual exhibition explores speculative narratives and visual storytelling, reinterpreting Slavic mythology in a futuristic context. It consists of illustrations, texts, symbolic representations, and interactive descriptions, building a bridge between the past, present, and future.
The exhibition highlights the transience and transformation of non-verbal messages, drawing on dreamlike sensations. The illustrations dynamically respond to time and environment, symbolizing the evolution and reinterpretation of Slavic culture in the face of contemporary challenges. Changing visuals and digital interactivity create a dialogue between past and future, inspiring new perspectives on heritage and its role in the future.
“Research & Artistic Phase”
The exhibition represents the first phase of a research-based artistic project, carried out as part of an artistic-research residency, applying the “action research” methodology. It serves as a space for asking questions and experimenting with future cultural scenarios.
This phase of the project develops the theme:
“Design Fiction as a Research Tool: Speculative Scenarios and Intercultural Dialogue Facing the Challenges of the Future in a Cultural Context.”
It explores the role of design fiction as a research tool for future studies and intercultural dialogue.
“Key Research Questions”
How does local mythology influence cultural identity?
Can traditional narratives inspire contemporary strategies for social, economic, and business innovation?
How do cultural narratives shape the geopolitical perception of a region?
How do material culture and local aesthetics reflect contemporary social challenges?
How does the relationship with technology and its development redefine the perception of cultural heritage?
Partners & Support
– Organizers:
Centro de Investigación en Diseño Industrial UNAM
Galería de la Biblioteca Luis Unikel, Facultad de Arquitectura, UNAM
– Partners:
Instytut Adama Mickiewicza (IAM) / Culture.pl (Supported under the “Polish Culture Worldwide” program.)
Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, Faculty of Design (ASP Gdańsk, Wydział Wzornictwa)
Lab Joyería, CIDI UNAM
– Endorsements & Recommendations:
Infuture Institute – Natalia Hatalska
Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Łaźnia – Marta Kołacz
Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
ArtIntell Vol. 4 in Gdańsk
Date: May 5 – June 13, 2025 (daily, 3:00–6:00 PM)
Venue: Saint John’s Centre / Nadbałtyckie Centrum Kultury (NCK), Gdańsk
Part of the fourth edition of ArtIntell, following previous editions in Warsaw and Wrocław. This Gdańsk exhibition was presented in the unique setting of the desacralized Saint John’s Church and gained local resonance through the involvement of artists from the Tricity region.
ArtIntell is an experimental initiative at the intersection of art, technology, and business. It redefines creativity in the digital age, featuring generative art, AI-assisted works, immersive AR/VR experiences, and interactive digital media.
The Gdańsk edition functioned as a future lab—a dialogue space for artists, scientists, brands, startups, and institutions. ArtIntell explored new directions in communication, cultural identity, and the use of technology in artistic and social practices.
The exhibition was developed in collaboration with Nadbałtyckie Centrum Kultury, a key cultural institution in the region, known for its interdisciplinary and experimental artistic programming.
