About
Canek Zapata was born in Mexico City in 1985. Editor, curator, and internet artist. Studied Classics at UNAM.
Works with computational environments, automatic writing, generative systems, image, sound, glitch, digital culture, and electronic literature: making environments that let the computer express itself.
Exhibitions at Centro de la Imagen, MUAC, the XIII FEMSA Biennial, Museo Carrillo Gil, the Visual Arts Center at the University of Texas at Austin, Festival El Aleph, Neort++ in Tokyo, and the musée des Beaux-Arts du Locle. Curatorial work at Galería Libertad, Museo de la Ciudad de Querétaro, the Oaxaca Book Fair, The Wrong Biennale 2019–20, and Casa Equis.
Former editor of Revista 404 and co-curator of Zona Hipermedial, with Doreen A. Ríos, at Centro de Cultura Digital. Electronic literature included in the Electronic Literature Collection, volume 4. Texts published in Revista de la Universidad de México, PaperMag, Excélsior, Horizontal, Revista 404, and Tierra Adentro.
Editor and programmer at brokenenglish.lol.
Works
undated
- Let the computer sing video, net art, sound
2026
- a word for later poetry, writing, net art, interaction, language, sound, cellular automata
- aliengeneralinference generative art, chance, cellular automata, gifs
- Atmospheric Frequencies tokenized works, ethereum, landscape, generative art, video
- cafe internet, poemario poetry, writing, landscape, language
- Consola de escritura writing, experimental literature
- el mundo no compila diagramatico writing, generative art, chance, landscape, language
- el oscuro net art, literature, ai
- escape net art, interaction, language, English
- estratos generative art, animation, landscape, literature, poetry
- estratos writing, generative art, language, literature
- Heaven Is Crowded tokenized works, ethereum, generative art, gifs
- indice del rio unicode / ascii, writing, generative art, glyphs, chance, landscape, language
- las letras gifs, unicode / ascii, generative art, glyphs, chance, animation, language
- loop nave writing, generative art, net art, chance, interaction, language, sound
- Memetic Observatory on AGI tokenized works, ethereum, ia, meme, generative art, video
- modotexto writing, glyphs, interaction, language, 3d, tezos, unicode / ascii
- nadie tenia wallet en 1998 landscape, language, poetry
- otro rio writing, landscape, language, net art
- paisajes egipcios unicode / ascii, writing, glyphs, landscape, language
- Pequeñas acumulaciones de aerosoles atmosféricos tokenized works, ethereum, landscape, video, generative art
- poesiaagentica poetry, writing, interaction, landscape, language
- poetic inquiries generative art, glyphs, bots, animation, language
- página 016 writing, language
- SOFT LAUNCH: AFTER DARK tokenized works, ethereum, generative art
- strata writing, generative art, language, literature, English
- ventana writing, generative art, glyphs, chance, landscape, language
- ἱερὸς πόλεμος tokenized works, ethereum, generative art
2025
- a palm is not net art, interaction, song
- astrotez generative art, chance, astrology, tezos
- Cellular Automata Racing tokenized works, tezos, cellular automata, net art, html, css, js, racing
- chido tu cotorreo tokenized works, tezos, gifs
- collage.py tokenized works, tezos, collage, python, generative art, abstract
- diario de coleccionista, Los Ángeles gifs, generative art, animation, cellular automata
- Diario de coleccionistas tokenized works, tezos, cellular automata, gifs, stable diffusion
- doomscrolling>>> net art, tezos
- poetic inquiries into the liquidity of the screen tokenized works, tezos, literature, net art
- point forward tokenized works, ethereum, generative art, video
- recursive divs ai, divs, tracery
- taller / paginapantalla workshop, programming, tracery
- tender buttons tokenized works, tezos, literature
- tenderbuttons / buttons generative art, net art, ui/ux
- tenderbuttons / iframe generative art, bots, net art, ui/ux
- tenderbuttons / pixel generative art, bots, net art, ui/ux
- tenderbuttons / scroll generative art, bots, net art, ui/ux
2024
- Animalia tokenized works, tezos, stable diffusion, generative art
- buscado de caracteres estocásticos generative art, glyphs, chance, language, net art
- commercial landscape, sound, video, generative art, net art
- escultura ai, abstract, cellular automata
- Fábrica de cielos inexistentes tokenized works, tezos, landscape, generative art
- land landscape, sound, generative art, js, poetry, images, tezos
- mapas celestes ai, images
- miniaturas celestes, video video, ai, literature, poetry
- Modern prompts on synthetic futures. tokenized works, tezos, ia, sound, gifs, generative art
- Pesquisas tokenized works, tezos, generative art
- playdate tokenized works, tezos, generative art, stable diffusion
- prompting changes tokenized works, tezos, stable diffusion, generative art
- taller / paginapantalla / divs workshop, programming, tracery
- the theft of the brillo boxes tokenized works, tezos, generative art, stable diffusion
- Una delgada niebla florecia las copas de durazno. tokenized works, tezos, generative art
- woooork ai, tezos, collage, net art, unicode / ascii
- Writing poetry with a computer II. About time, tokenized works, tezos, literature, markov, generative art
- writing poetry with a computers es un ejercicio post-humano gifs, poetry, writing, generative art, chance, animation, interaction, language, markov
- αὐτόματον tokenized works, tezos, cellular automata, gifs
2023
- aisentencesondigitalart html, generative art, ai
- arte de navegador tokenized works, tezos, net art
- datacenters ai, images
- generador de imagenes con ascii unicode / ascii, glyphs
- home net art, writing
- lo fi ଘ(੭ˊᴗˋ)੭ ..。.:*・゚♫+ ♪ *♬‧+‹3" ai radio tokenized works, tezos, generative art, sound
- manifiesto writing
- mesh animation, js
- Midsummer Night’s Dream tokenized works, tezos, generative art
- zalgo unicode / ascii, generative art, glyphs, interaction, landscape, language
2022
- danqing / zalgoart unicode / ascii, glyphs, zalgo, net art
- diagramas de literatura generativa / escritura oraculos y poesia generativa poetry, writing, generative art, language, diagrams, pdf, literature, theory
- dr atl ascii unicode / ascii, glyphs, landscape
- dr atl cielo unicode / ascii, glyphs, landscape
- emojis viejitos unicode / ascii, glyphs, interaction, tracery
- palimpsesto / palimpsesto unicode / ascii, glyphs, language, tracery, net art, abstract
- panel unicode / ascii, glyphs, landscape, language, net art
- party at the prompt museum tokenized works, tezos, generative art
- pinceladas collage, images, generative art, net art, colors
- rainbowroad unicode / ascii, glyphs, gifs
- system2 gifs, tezos
2021
- apud kittler animation, language, net art
- arcoiris hydra, net art, colors
- barrrrrcode poetry, net art, tracery
- canvas generative art, net art, images
- cositas sutiles del texto zurcido poetry, net art, tracery, divs
- creepy(ne.ta)rt.wwwwwww poetry, net art, tracery
- didn't supposed to work this way tracery, net art, generative art, abstract, divs
- didn't supposed to work this way, 3d net art, generative art, tracery, abstract, divs
- el cardón unicode / ascii, glyphs, landscape
- era feliz unicode / ascii, glyphs
- language is a 🮖🮖🬥🬥🮖🮖 poetry, net art, js, tracery
- medusa ascii unicode / ascii, glyphs, landscape
- nube unicode / ascii, glyphs, landscape, gifs
- object generator / object generative art, net art, chance, bots, collage, interaction, gifs
- paisaje landscape, images, glitch
- paisaje tamayo unicode / ascii, glyphs, landscape
- paisajitos tokenized works, tezos, generative art, landscape
- palimpsesto unicode / ascii, glyphs, language, tracery, net art, abstract
- poemas del espacio poetry, writing, language, net art, literature
- so much generative art, chance, language, net art
- usergenerator generative art, tracery
2020
- baldessari's goya series in emojis emojis, net art, conceptual
- workworkwork.party collage, net art, tracery
2019
- consola net art, poetry
- medusa landscape, gifs
- post it generative art, net art, bots, collage
- twbot generative art, bots, tracery, unicode / ascii
- una línea infinita poetry, writing, language, net art
2018
- 8888 landscape, sound, net art
- Aparato Cifi ciencia ficción, literature, net art, tracery
- La máquina distópica tracery, net art, literature
- melodia language, literature, generative art, net art
- micorriza poetry, writing, net art, landscape, language, literature, gifs
- micorriza net art, landscape, language, poetry, theory, gifs
2017
- unicode song unicode / ascii, glyphs
2016
- carlosmerida net art, gifs, newhive, collage
- crashcrashcrash unicode / ascii, generative art, glyphs, bots, landscape, net art
- paint7 net art, collage, glitch
- paint7 / collage net art, collage, gifs
- unicode unicode / ascii, glyphs, landscape
2015
- icaro landscape, collage, newhive, gifs
- msdos language, gifs, poetry
- paisaje digital net art, collage, landscape, images
2014
- antena gifs, animation, landscape, glitch
- selfie gifs, animation
- triptico glitch, images
- uyyy iyyy gifs, animation, glitch
- uyyy iyyy iyyy gifs, animation, glitch
Writing by Canek
2024
- La singularidad en las oficinas de la Rand Corporation Revista de la Universidad de México
2023
- Sobre la aurora Revista de la Universidad de México
2019
- Liebestod ContraRéplica
2018
- Ars poética y tres poemas de cuando visité a Li Po en el 4444 d. C. Tierra Adentro
- Maluma lector de Camus: dos historias de impresiones en redes sociales Horizontal
- Sobre los afectos y efectos de dos videos virales Editorial del Centro de Cultura Digital
2017
- Emoticones, unicode y emojis Editorial del Centro de Cultura Digital
- ¿Cómo sé si soy un robot? CutOut Fest
2016
Readings and conversations about the work
2026
- BRKN es una fiesta que no termina nunca Punto de partida · UNAM
- Canek Zapata: Internet est un langage construit à partir de fragments Fisheye Immersive
2025
- Canek Zapata: From Literature to Algorithms objkt blog
- INTERVIEW: CANEK ZAPATA TITLES
2024
- Tus libros y poemas bailan y se besan en Internet Culture Machine 23
2023
- Literatura Eletrônica Experimental no Sul Global: uma contribuição política para as humanidades digitais críticas e criativas DATJournal 8(2)
- Narrativas de las codificaciones digitales: verticalidad y velocidad como formas de temporalidad Universum 38(1)
2022
2021
2020
- Especialistas llaman a revalorar el arte digital con la crisis sanitaria La Jornada
- Los memes: prácticas artísticas participativas en el ciberespacio Revista de Investigación y Pedagogía del Arte
2019
- Arte digital, más allá de Zona Maco Confabulario / El Universal
- La máquina distópica El Ornitorrinco Tachado
- Territorios y naturaleza bajo la transmutación del archivo Valenciana
2018
- Broken English, artefactos textuales Canal 22
Activity: exhibitions, talks, workshops, and curation
2026
- Acción de literatura expandida 31 July 2026, 18:00 · conversation · in conversation with Rocío Cerón and Emmanuel Vizcaya · Centro de Creación Literaria Xavier Villaurrutia / INBAL
- Consola — Festival Cultura UNAM 1 October 2026, 17:00 · presentación · creador de Consola · Casa Universitaria del Libro (CASUL), Mexico City
- La luz de un verano sin lluvia 7 May–9 August 2026 · exhibition · participating artist · Centro de la Imagen
- Tecnosimbiosis — Mesa 1: Cognición y creación en ensamblajes técnicos 29 September 2026, 10:15–11:45 · mesa de diálogo · ponente con Gabriela Méndez Cota and Paz Sastre; modera Fernando Monreal · Casa Rafael Galván, UAM, Zacatecas 94, Roma Norte, Mexico City
- Whom and What Do I Touch When I Touch My Dog? 2–28 February 2026 · exhibition · participating artist · LEAH Concept Gallery, Mexico City
2025
- Cartografías de la palabra: poéticas y tecnologías en diálogo 24–26 February 2025; día individual por verificar · talk · participant · III Coloquio de Literatura Comparada, FFyL UNAM
- doomscrolling>>> 2025; fecha de apertura por verificar · exhibition / work · artist invited by Kika Nicolela; creator of the page · ORBIT_E, Musée des Beaux-Arts Le Locle
- El robot que quiere escribir versos 19 October 2025, 13:00–15:00 · workshop · workshop leader · Poesía en Voz Alta, Casa del Lago UNAM
- Máquinas de escritura 13 and 20 August 2025 · workshop · workshop leader · Literatura UNAM, en línea
2024
- Imágenes (D)escritas: Écfrasis e inteligencia artificial 16 May 2024, 11:00 · conversation · in conversation with Irene Artigas · Festival El Aleph / auditorio del MUAC
- Miniaturas: Mapas celestes 8–19 May 2024 · exhibition · artist · Festival El Aleph / Palacio de la Autonomía
- Máquina poética: taller de inteligencia artificial para principiantes 17 May 2024, 12:00 · workshop · workshop leader · Festival El Aleph, UNAM
2023
- A Well-trained Eye / Un ojo bien entrenado 22 September 2023–2 March 2024 · exhibition · participating artist · Visual Arts Center, University of Texas at Austin
- Floresta Efímera 03 25 May 2023, 19:00–21:00 · curation · curator · Centro Cultural de España en México
- Máquina poética: laboratorio de escritura con computadoras desde 7 August 2023; calendario por verificar · workshop · workshop leader · Dirección de Literatura and Fomento a la Lectura
2022
- Jardín de bots / Yami-Ichi: creación de bots literarios 8 October 2022, 12:30 · workshop · workshop leader · Festival Cultura UNAM
2021
- Tiempo compartido III December 2021; inauguración anunciada el 8 · exhibition / residency · member of Broken English · Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil
2020
- Estrategias de exposición en Internet 29 April 2020, 16:00 · talk · in conversation with Gabriela Cepeda · XIV Bienal FEMSA, sesión virtual
- Píxeles activados April 2020 · curation · curator · Casa Equis / galería web
2019
- Bots para experimentar los delirios del futuro August 2019 · workshop · workshop leader · Centro Nacional de las Artes
- Máquinas de escritura October 2019 · curation · curator · Feria Internacional del Libro de Oaxaca
- Sílex: tianguis especulativo del internet 11–16 June 2019 · organization / gathering · organized with Doreen Ríos and Janet40 · Centro de Cultura Digital
- Todo Mal. Broken November 2019–March 2020 · curation · curator · The Wrong Biennale
2018
- #NoMeCansaré 10 November 2018–31 March 2019 · exhibition · participating artist · MUAC, UNAM
- La Máquina Distópica 2018; intervalo por confirmar · exhibition / work · collaboration with Verónica Gerber and Carlos Bergen · XIII Bienal FEMSA, Zacatecas
- Memetics: taller de imágenes y memes 2018; día por verificar · workshop · workshop leader · Centro de la Imagen
- Máquinas de escritura August–September 2018 · curation · curator · Hay Festival / Galería Libertad, Querétaro
- No considero la vida de los pianos insignificante August–September 2018; verificar · curation · curator · Museo de la Ciudad de Querétaro
2017
- Códigos de convivencia / En defensa del usuario 19 January–12 February 2017 · exhibition · participating artist · Centro de la Imagen
- El código profundo / mesa redonda CCD 26 April 2017, 18:00 · talk · moderator of Cinthya García and Horacio Warpola · II Festival de Escritura Digital / Palacio de Bellas Artes
- Página pantalla 2017; día por verificar · workshop · workshop leader · Fábrica Digital El Rule
2015
- Future Art Fair November 2015 · exhibition · participating artist · NewHive
Type credits
Px437, PxPlus and Ac437 (IBM CGA, ATI, Everex, Tseng, Toshiba, HP 100LX, Rainbow 100, NEC APC3, Wang): The Ultimate Oldschool PC Font Pack by VileR, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
GNU Unifont (Roman Czyborra, Paul Hardy and contributors): GNU GPL 2+ with the font embedding exception, and SIL Open Font License 1.1.
Noto Sans Egyptian Hieroglyphs (Google): SIL Open Font License 1.1.
The console’s psfx writing comes from If Jupiter had turned into a Star by Everest Pipkin.