We had the good fortune of connecting with Thais Alvarenga and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thais, what are you inspired by?
I am inspired by the family-oriented rituals and acts of care embedded in Latin American culture. Everyday yet profound moments like sharing a cup of coffee or cleaning the house while dancing salsa remind me that the world is full of good people who find joy in the objects and communities around them. We are not divergent or opposite forces but living, feeling beings sharing space and searching for meaning.

These bonds draw me to Magical Realism, where Gabriel García Márquez remediated his grandmother’s oral storytelling style to capture the complexities of Latin American identity. I see magic as a lens to spark curiosity. Technology, in its ability to mediate reality, carries that same magic. Through it, I develop tools to help people recognize their mind, body, and creativity as magical ways of constructing meaning.

I find digital and physical journals, especially indie websites, enchanting. Here, people craft personal worlds by remixing text, images, and code to make sense of their identities. These intimate, evolving spaces inspire me to create interactive experiences that encourage self-exploration and reimagine how we navigate the world with our minds and bodies.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art lives at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and embodied experience. I design interactive spaces—both digital and physical—that challenge rigid narratives and center diverse ways of knowing. Whether through VR therapy experiences, spatial storytelling installations, or game worlds that reimagine folklore, my work seeks to create spaces where people don’t just consume stories—they live them.

Growing up in Honduras, access to art education was limited, so I turned to technology to teach myself. I learned to paint through YouTube, later winning national art competitions. That experience shaped my belief that technology can democratize creative expression—but only if we design it to be inclusive.

The path hasn’t been easy. As a Latin American researcher in XR and game design, I’ve had to carve out space in fields that often overlook non-Western perspectives. I’ve faced funding challenges, cultural biases, and the struggle of making work that doesn’t fit neatly into predefined categories. But I’ve learned that these struggles are also strengths. They fuel my drive to create digital playgrounds where Latin American families, neurodivergent individuals, and intergenerational communities can see their ways of being reflected and valued.

What I want the world to know is that art is not just something we see—it’s something we feel, move through, and co-create. My work is a call to design technologies that embrace cultural memory, embodied knowledge, and sensory-rich storytelling. Whether through magical realism-infused interactive worlds or haptic, playful experiences, I aim to build a future where technology doesn’t replace human connection—it deepens it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The first place to check out, in my opinion, is Goat Farm. I’ve gone to a couple of their events and I really enjoyed them. Night of Ideas, Atlanta is happening soon, so I would take them to that. I would also try to get us into a performance of the Atlanta Ballet. I recently saw their astounding version of Rites of Spring. They have the Coppélia ballet coming up so I would 100% take them.

Another place that I love is the High Museum of Art. Ryoji Ikeda: data-verse is showing as a special exhibition and I’ve been meaning to go to one of his exhibitions for a very long time. I also think that the High Art is an amazing place to experience American art. Along that line, I would also take them to the Trap Museum. It’s such a unique museum that I think you can only experience it in Atlanta.

The best thing about Atlanta is that you can find so many cuisines and experiment them, so I would probably dedicate a different cuisine to each day. Ponce City Market is unmissable in that regard. There are just so many options for an amazing food experience. The restaurants in Tenth Street and Peach Street. There are several Japanese and Chinese Restaurants that I like there. J. Christopher’s is also there. That’s definitely a breakfast spot you should check out.

To round out the trip, we’d visit Stone Mountain. I just really like to walk there and we’d probably hang out until the light show.

Atlanta is such a rich city that I find it very hard to constrain the list. I am also new in the city, so I am sure that there are even more nooks that are incredible, but I think so far, those places have really made the city experience exciting and enjoyable.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My journey wouldn’t be the same without the unwavering support of my family. A huge shoutout to my mentors, collaborators, and friends at Georgia Tech and NYU.

Finally, a shoutout to all the young creators, dreamers, and innovators across Latin America—your stories, ideas, and voices matter. Keep learning, keep experimenting, and never stop questioning the world around you. Your work is powerful. Carry that forward with knowledge, resilience, and empathy. The world needs your perspective, your passion, and your vision.

Website: https://www.thaisalvarenga.com/

Instagram: @latinxr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelinathais

Image Credits
Jack B. Du

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