Crypt Imaginaries and Machines for Self-Determination was a curatorial experiment and graphic documentary that created a space for open-source citizen intelligence (OSINT) and counter-intelligence knowledge. The exhibition invited visitors to explore how state and corporate surveillance systems operate, revealing the tools and technologies they use. Through interactive displays, hacking guides, hardware instructions, and software sharing, the project aimed to empower citizens by teaching them how to defend their privacy. It was an invitation to imagine new ways to protect the intimate spaces of our lives, challenging the dominance of surveillance systems with practical tools

The graphic documentary section of the exhibition focused on what many initially dismissed as conspiracy theory: the government contracts with spy tech companies and documented cases of illegal surveillance targeting journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico. The name of the project makes referece to thinking cryptography beyond its financial dominant aspect.

The exhibition featured works by a diverse range of international artists and collectives, including: Disnovation (FR), Jenniffer Gradecki (US), Derek Curry (US), Telecomunicaciones Indígenas Comunitarias (TIC AC), Rizhomatica Untold Stories (NL), Matthew Plummer-Fernández, (GB-CO), Dmitry Morozov aka :: vtol :: (RU), Emily Martinez (CU), Ben Lerchin (US), Adam Harvey (DE-US), Seaglass (US), PHI (RU): Aliaksandra Smirnova + Calum Bowden + Aiwen Yin + Cory Levinson + Artem Stepanov (RU), Hugo Escalpelo, Gibrann Morgado (MX).

Special thanks to: CCEMX, Border, Tor Foundation.

Curatorship, programming, custom electronics, museographic design, research