Frisly Soberanis 2019–2020 Artist in Residence

 Portrait

Frisly Soberanis is a director and video artist, from Queens, New York via Guatemala. His work explores separation, distance and the migrant experience. He has received support from E4FC’s Fuse fund, Tribeca Film Institute’s New Media Prototype Fund, Culturestrike and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. He is one of the Open Society’s Photo Documentary Fellows. The last project he worked on, the Family Reunions Project, was a 360 video/ virtual reality project that explored the layers of reality, memories and messages. It has shown at Hemi's 2016 Encuentro @ el Centro de Cultura Digital (CCDMX) in Mexico City, and during the Moving Walls 25 Exhibit. His other work has been shown at the Hilversum Museum and Tribeca Family Day. He grew up filming quinceañeras and bodas, and hopes to create stories of healing and reconnection. He loves thunderstorms and family, he is fascinated with light, sound and loves to play video games, especially ones with a great story.

tierranarrative.com | playfrisly.com

Research Questions / Lines of Inquiry during Hemi Residency

There is a need to create ethical protocols and practices when creating Virtual Reality and immersive experiences that deal with trauma.

  • What are protocols and methodologies we can implement when creating intimate immersive experiences for the purpose of digitally connecting people to places and people?
  • What are people doing now in the field? What have people done in the past? What did we do?
  • If 360 blurs the lines of reality, then what realities should be blurred? Should they be blurred in the first place?
  • What is a protocol to onboard someone to an immersive experience?
  • What are ways to de-escalate after a triggering immersive experience?


Watch Frisly's AiR Curated Conversation, "Cine Centroamericano: Narrativas de Migración y Desplazamiento" (2019)