Science & Technology

A Futuristic Vision for Latin America, Rooted in Ancient Design | Catalina Lotero | TED

What would Latin America look like if colonization hadn’t interrupted its ancient civilizations? Imagining a future where ancestral knowledge intertwines with modern aesthetics, designer Catalina Lotero shows how “pre-Columbian futurism” draws inspiration from Indigenous symbolism and technology — empowering Latin America to reclaim lost cultural narratives. If you love watching TED Talks like this one,…

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What would Latin America look like if colonization hadn’t interrupted its ancient civilizations? Imagining a future where ancestral knowledge intertwines with modern aesthetics, designer Catalina Lotero shows how “pre-Columbian futurism” draws inspiration from Indigenous symbolism and technology — empowering Latin America to reclaim lost cultural narratives.

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30 Comments

  1. @nerd26373

    April 15, 2024 at 7:01 am

    Latin America needs to be more progressive in terms of technology. Their counterpart seems to have taken on the reigns of becoming the pioneers of advanced technology.

  2. @mr.wrongthink.1325

    April 15, 2024 at 7:10 am

    So useless.

    • @paillette2010

      April 15, 2024 at 10:04 am

      As is you post

    • @cacerolaquemada9692

      April 17, 2024 at 9:03 pm

      This comment was absolutely unnecessary

    • @mr.wrongthink.1325

      April 17, 2024 at 9:16 pm

      @@cacerolaquemada9692
      Exactly! Useless.

    • @mr.wrongthink.1325

      April 17, 2024 at 9:17 pm

      @@cacerolaquemada9692
      Who decides what’s unnecessary? You?

  3. @danielrodriguez5463

    April 15, 2024 at 7:19 am

    There is no such thing as Latin America…the term was made up by white americans that never left the USA. Latin people are from EUROPE…the ones that have latin as their root…however the countries in south America are hispanoamerican.

    As if I with a very limited amount of info named all North Americans Cowboys, or Apachees or Yankees. 🤦🏻‍♂️

    Americans are in desperate need of an education system that includes comprehensive GEOGRAPHY.

    • @christaylor9095

      April 15, 2024 at 7:36 am

      All “terms” are made up. And random Daniels on YouTube aren’t the arbiters of what made up terms are legitimate. Your position on this is so foolish that I’m embarrassed on your behalf.

    • @chocomalk

      April 15, 2024 at 8:53 am

      Hispano and Latino are synonymous lol

    • @reiddickson

      April 15, 2024 at 1:48 pm

      You are partially correct that “Latin America”, as a term, wasn’t created by people living in what people call Latin America today.

      You are incorrect to suggest this was “made up by white americans that never left the USA”. The term “Latin America” was coined by the French in the mid-1800s.

      I agree that the US education system does desperately need to improve, including on the topic of geography, but evidently so does whatever education system you were raised in.

    • @chloec4009

      April 15, 2024 at 3:42 pm

      This is a limit with communicating in English.

  4. @sundrapoonan6724

    April 15, 2024 at 7:24 am

    You are an inspiration to me an everyone who sees and knows the value of our amazing cultures. I am of Indian descent, specifically from Chennai in Tamil Nadu, South India, and I live in Durban, South Africa. I am looking at reviving our rich culture, therefore I found your talk inspiring ❤, thank you 🙏

  5. @StanislavZimin

    April 15, 2024 at 7:25 am

    Amazing 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Massive source of inspiration for other cultures

    • @sekoucamara1649

      April 15, 2024 at 3:42 pm

      I love you ❤

  6. @StefhanJKR

    April 15, 2024 at 8:03 am

    Incredible work. This is one of best TED talks I have heard. Thank you.

  7. @chocomalk

    April 15, 2024 at 8:56 am

    Let’s see examples of what North Africa would look like without Islamic colonization. And South Africa without Zulu colonization. And Russia without Mongol and the Middle East before the Persians and Korea before Japan and…..

  8. @paillette2010

    April 15, 2024 at 10:03 am

    “My husband and I”

  9. @GilliMarieMoody

    April 15, 2024 at 10:46 am

    OMG. This is so brilliant.

  10. @theartesana

    April 15, 2024 at 12:33 pm

    Where did you obtain your information? Did you go to rural areas in Latin America? Have you heard of temazcal, molcajete, adobe, etc…

  11. @AdityaMehendale

    April 15, 2024 at 1:09 pm

    The lessons could well be extended, far beyond LatAm. Bravo.

  12. @juanjm12

    April 15, 2024 at 3:02 pm

    Que arrecho

  13. @ashokverma7501

    April 15, 2024 at 5:51 pm

    Bravo! It is brave to present your originality in today’s world of global colonisation. Health is biodiversity. God loves diversity. He wants everyone to evolve spiritually and find Him in his or her own way. And we as evolved human beings must provide this freedom to everyone. Go ahead bravely dear with all my blessings. May your likes grow and inspire your neighbours to grow and evolve on their own. Remove all leftists first from all govts.

  14. @craigkeller

    April 15, 2024 at 5:54 pm

    Stunning work.

  15. @solofunk

    April 15, 2024 at 8:12 pm

    This is awesome!

  16. @sambooo07

    April 15, 2024 at 11:21 pm

    Grande, Catalina! Buenísimo.

  17. @fernandorivera3613

    April 16, 2024 at 10:45 am

    here an example of manipulation, what it aims for, is to hide data, and it tells a story, a lullubaby of hopeness, it calms the fear of a international systemized disfuncionatlity, in the reality, that notion is happening, latinoamerica is experiencing failure, is being crippled by its traumatic, compulsive and fragmented culture, in some places in Latinoamérica, feeding yourself can be a challenge, some times imposible, life it’s not only unbalanced but it also it’s not motivated and not sustainable, in reality most parents get by without psychological professionals, nor a good health insurance, the systems of the state fail to maintain life and progress, so hope becomes anestesia and unprescribed drugs, and folks, old people, childs suffering from hunger and cold, they become objects most vulnerable of change, but not as an improvement of their situations, but for the end of life and for the begining of horror; only the functional, drugged, compulsive masculine model of human is what it is to maintain, due political liberalism, the corruption in most places in Latinoamérica is so deep and rooted it gives a bleak sight of the future, like the labayato crimes, that right now are damaging international relationships between Ecuador and mexico, how can you blame de people of reacting violently and turning to an even more individualistic perspective in life, or situations like Venezuela or Perú, argentina, chile, Brazil, where business mafia rules de Territory, mining mafias, ibms, private “security” companies of the privileged neighborhoods or of the political important ones, and last but not least, in the contrary, we go back to political corruption, whereas in Peru, it’s mafia, it’s a festering and generalized infection, we are destined to blood, even in case of revolution, of change, it always comes with conflict and it has no allies and it doesn’t care about life, change can be a thing of terrors, that’s what a lost culture look like, dead and rotting, this video is disgustingly simpatic.

  18. @pafcarnaval

    April 17, 2024 at 12:10 am

    Que hermosa investigación e importante charla. Estoy muy feliz de haberla encontrado, muchísimas gracias por tu activismo artístico inspirador. Cariños desde Chile.

  19. @ricardofelipelo

    April 17, 2024 at 12:19 am

    LOVED

  20. @igora6367

    April 17, 2024 at 2:56 pm

    Fantastic! Perfect!

  21. @palmskrymme

    April 19, 2024 at 9:05 am

    Yessssss

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