MAÍZ: Symptomatologies of a Living Archive is an artist-led research project documenting Mexico’s sixty-four native maize races and the communities that sustain them. Combining documentary photography, photogrammetry, and immersive 360° video, the project approaches maize as a living archive shaped by ecological knowledge, ritual practice, and cultural memory. In the context of industrial agriculture, genetic homogenisation, and climate instability, MAÍZ asks what is lost when a species – and its relationship to territory – disappears. Developed collaboratively with seed guardians, agronomists, and local networks, the project produces digital ‘fossils’, oral histories, and immersive visual material while prioritising shared authorship and return on benefits. The research will culminate in an open-access web archive that connects biodiversity preservation with climate resilience and community-based knowledge.
Cristóbal Ascencio is a Mexico-born photographer and visual artist whose practice expands photography through digital archaeology, memory, and territory-based research.
