About
Maria F. (Mafe) Izaguirre (1978) is a New York-based cybernetic artist investigating the new forms of sensibility, desire, and spirituality that emerge at the threshold where the human and the machine can no longer be told apart. Her Sensitive Machines™ and Postpoetic Machine™ operate as hybrid organisms — artifacts that blur the boundary between electronic system and living presence — systems that perceive, respond, and speak in a language that is neither fully human nor fully other.
Izaguirre’s work takes the form of cybernetic installations, electronic artifacts, and hybrid poetic systems exhibited across New York and internationally. Her studio practice is defined by slow production, hands-on fabrication, and sustained philosophical research. She has been supported by grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Jerome Foundation, and the Queens Council for the Arts.
Studio Visits
To schedule a studio visit, please get in touch with studio@mafeizaguirre.com
Biography
Awards
2024 | New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Support for Artists Award — The Postpoetic Machine (2024). Sponsored by Theater Lab. New York, NY. Press Release.
2023 | FST StudioProjects Fund — New York. Press Release.
2021 | Designated Alternate Awardee in New Media, Jerome Foundation’s Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship Program. New York, NY.
2020 | Queens Council for the Arts, Artist Grant — Funded by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Greater New York Arts Development Fund. New York, NY. Read More: 2020 QUEENS ARTS FUND AWARDEES
2020 | MoreArt Fellowship — Public Art Program. Press Release: Mafe Izaguirre: one of the eight More Art’s Engaging Artists Fellows of 2020. New York, NY.
More Info: http://moreart.org/announcing-our-2020-engaging-artists-fellows-and-artist-in-residence/
2018 | Gradiva® Award in the category of New Media to ROOM: A Sketchbook for Analytic Action Journal. National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP). Each year NAAP recognizes the literary and artistic achievements of those who have created works that represent and promote psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. Visit: analytic-room.com
Honors
2022 | Panelist at Queens Arts Fund for the 2022 New Work Grant: Visual Art for individual artist support.
2022 | Panelist at the Digital Culture Forum – Fundación Telefónica Movistar Debates on Innovation for New Audiences — Mafe Izaguirre presents The Post-poetic Machine. Curators: Humberto Valdivieso and Lorena Rojas Parma. Virtual Premiere in Youtube. May 26th, 2022. Iberoamerica.
2022 | Panelist at Futures Narratives + Networks. Work from the More Art Fellowship at Queens Museum — More Art 2020 and 2021 Engaging Artist Fellows. Panelists: Stephanie Dinkins, Mafe Izaguirre, Althea Rao, and Hanae Utamura. April 10, 2022.
2019 | Panelist at the Seminar Human: Too Posthuman. Telefónica Foundation Venezuela — Mafe Izaguirre presents The Mind Project. Curators: Humberto Valdivieso and Lorena Rojas Parma. Mega Digital Room Movistar. Caracas, Venezuela.
More Info in Spanish and English: https://mafeizaguirre.com/seminario-fundacion-telefonica-mafe-izaguirre/
2018 | Panelist at ICP LAB: Manufactured Memory, Manufactured History. International Center of Photography Museum. 250 Bowery, New York, NY 10012. Presenting The Image of Truth at the International Center of Photography Museum (ICP). Panelists: Per Gylfe, Paul Pangaro, Rinat Sherzer, Miles Goscha, Mafe Izaguirre and Jeanna Matthews.
2017 | The Mind Project Talk at Trans-cen-der Art Group (TAG). Brooklyn Fire Proof’s Temporary Space Gallery on 119 Ingraham Street in Bushwick. October 24th, 2017. Hosted by Tim Gowan.
Residencies
Exhibitions
2026 | Group Exhibition, Rooted: Artists of LIC, at Plaxall Gallery / Culture Lab LIC. Curated by Tess Howsam and Kenny Greenberg. April 2 – June 1, 2026. 5-25 46th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101.
2024 | Solo Show, The Postpoetic Machine, at TheaterLab. Supported by NYSCA Artist Grant and sponsored by TheaterLab. Presenting Mafe Izaguirre and Guest Artists: Enrique Enriquez, Yoko Murakami, & Peter Sciscioli. Read more. October 30 – November 13, 2024. 357 W 36th St, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10018. (Curated by Orietta Crispino).
2022 | Group Show, Xennoverse Exhibition, presenting fragments of The Postpoetic Machine, New Art City Virtual Space, Global. Read more. (Curated by Spideh Majidi)
2021 | Performance and Cybernetic Installation, The Silence: A Hybrid Meditation Session with Mafe Izaguirre’s Sensitive Machines at Theather Lab. Presented as part of the Theaterlab’s Rhythms Routines Rituals series. May 22 to 31, 2021. 357 W 36th St, 3rd floor, New York, NY. (Curated by Orietta Crispino)
2021 | Group Show, [Move Semantics]: Rules of Unfolding, presenting The Mirror: A Cybernetic Installation at The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, Project Space Program, March 27 – May 1, 2021. 323 West 39th Street New York, NY 10018. (Facilitated by Elæ Moss & Jeff Kasper)
2020 | Virtual Performance in collaboration with The Astoria Music Project in “Music, She Wrote” Season, a free and open to all series of events celebrating women composers and women artists. Sunday, Dec 6th at 7 pm via Youtube. Mafe Izaguirre performed with her Sensitive Machines™ while listening to “Love Let the Wind Cry… How I Adore Thee” by Undine Smith Moore. Min. 5:00, Installation; Min. 26:19, Q&A.
2020 | Solo Show, presenting the cybernetic installation: Cantecikiya, which means “my heart is inspired by you” in the Lakota language at the Green & Blue Pop-up Gallery, Wasta, South Dakota. U.S. July 23rd through the 27th, 2020. (Curated by Mia Feroleto)
2019 | Group Show, 33 Long Island City Artists, presenting the cybernetic installation: Qi, a Sensitive Machine at Atlantic Gallery, 548 West 28th St, Suite 540. New York, NY 10001. January 29th to February 16th. (Curated by Carol Crawford)
2018 | Group Show, Escape Velocity, presenting the cybernetic installation: The Emotion Machine III at Plaxall Gallery 5-25 46th Ave, Long Island City 11101. March 13th – May 13th. (Curated by Edjo Wheeler)
2018 | Group Show, States of Being, presenting the cybernetic installation: The Emotion Machine III at Chinatown Soup Gallery, 16B Orchard St, New York, New York 10002. March 8th – March 11th, featuring new works by artists Michael Krasowitz, Lori Horowitz, Izzy Nova, Mafe Izaguirre, and Andrea Lawl Manning.
2017 | Group Show, Women in Arts Chelsea, presenting the cybernetic performance: A dehiscence of Being (A Sensitive Crown), at The Set NYC, Holy Apostles Gallery, 296 9th Ave NY NY. November 14th, 2017. (Curated by Pim Shih)
2017 | Group Show, Making Connections, presenting the photography series Flowers of New York (FONY) at Henry DeFord Gallery, CiTi Group at Citi, One Court Square at 44th, Dr., Long Island City, NY 11101. October 26th – January 30th, 2017. (Curated by Carol Crawford, Juror Elizabeth Hoy)
2017 | Group Show, Visual Narratives, presenting the photography series Flowers of New York (FONY) at Group Show, Loft Artist Association, 575 Pacific Street, Stamford, CT 06902. August 26 – Sept. 24, 2017. (Juror Katerina Lanfrancohad)
2017 | Group Show, Making Connections, presenting the photography series Flowers of New York (FONY) at Plaxall Gallery, 5-46 46th Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101. August 26 – Sept. 24, 2017. (Curated by Carol Crawford, Juror Elizabeth Hoy)
Publications
English
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “Hybrid Spirituality.” Foreign Objekt at The Space Gallery, September 20, 2021.
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “The Unknowable Reality, Machines that Feel.” New Observations #133, November 16, 2019.
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “Introduction to Intimacies, an interview with Patrick Webb and Anna Fishzon.” ROOM: A Sketchbook for Analytic Action, October 2019.
Spanish
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “La Máquina Postpoética.” Essay in Posthumanismo: Un Dossier, eds. Lorena Rojas Parma y Humberto Valdivieso. Abediciones UCAB, Caracas, 2024. ISBN: 978-980-439-000-0.
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “Artificium: Antología de Ciencia Ficción Latinoamericana”. Turn Lab, Febrero 2024.
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “Inventus: Antología de Ciencia Ficción Latinoamericana“. Waratu Ediciones, Abril 2022.
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “Rolando Peña en WhiteBox Harlem Nueva York“. Tráfico Visual, Noviembre, 2019.
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “Habitar el Cuerpo Artificial“ La ONG Virtual Journal. Mayo 1, 2019.
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “El Arte Tecnológico, Una Cacofonía“. Revista Científica Persea, Junio 09, 2018.
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “Espacios de Silencio“ con Enrique Enriquez. La ONG Virtual Journal. April 08, 2018.
Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda. “La Imagen de la Verdad“ con Pablo Galindo. Mayo 30, 2018.
Press
English
Cultivate Podcast with Jessica Taghap, The Postpoetic Machine Episode 3, Nov 24, 2024, and Episode 4, Dec 2, 2024.
Stage Whisper by Andrew Cortes and Hope Bird, Episode 693, The Postpoetic Machine, Oct 28, 2024.
More Art. “Mafe Izaguirre: Cross-Cultural Cybernetics.” Medium. Feb 18, 2021.
International Center of Photography (ICP). “ICP Lab: Manufactured Memory, Manufactured History”. May 27, 2018.
Horowitz, Lori. “States of Being.” Art Week. March 8, 2018.
Long Island City Artists Association. “Making Connections.” October 26, 2017.
Collaborations
English
▪ Negarestani, Reza. “Future of Intelligence in the Age of Intellectual Scarcity.” Transcribed and edited by Mafe Izaguirre and Sepideh Majidi. Foreign Objekt, Oct 25, 2021.
▪ Izaguirre, Maria Fernanda (Mafe). “Consciousness and Contact.” New Observations #136, 2020.
Curatorial Work
2017-2021 | Art Curator for ROOM: A Sketchbook for Analytic Action Journal. Four annual collections featuring artists from New York, Venezuela, Norway, France, Brazil, and Belgium.
2015 | Curator: arteZanos presents “Ventanas El Hatillo.” Ephemeral exhibition at El Hatillo’s public space. Twenty-one featured artists paying tribute to Venezuelan artist Armando Reverón. November 13th and 15th, 2015. El Hatillo, Caracas, Venezuela.
2015 | Curator: arteZanos, eleven emerging artists paying tribute to Venezuelan artist Pedro León Zapata. Museum of Contemporary Art of Zulia (MACZUL). July 3rd to August 3rd, 2015. Maracaibo, Venezuela.
2015 | Curator: arteZanos, eleven emerging artists paying tribute to Venezuelan artist Pedro León Zapata at Teresa Carreño Theater. May 21st, 2015. Caracas, Venezuela.
2015 | Curator: arteZanos, eleven emerging artists paying tribute to Venezuelan artist Pedro León Zapata. Alternative Spaces El Hatillo’s Art Center. April 28th to May 13th, 2015. Caracas, Venezuela.
Teaching
2018 | Tech Mentor for the Design League, DreamYard Project, The Bronx, New York.
2018 | Tech Mentor, Mouse Inc. Technology with Purpose, New York.
2010 | Experimental Typography Workshop. Simple 7 Lab presents: Master Typographer Luis Giraldo | 8 students. Role: Host.
2008–2010 | Research Mentor, PROdiseño Design Program, Caracas, Venezuela. Projects included interactive tools for accessibility, public space awareness, and audiovisual perception.
2002–2008 | Professor at the PROdiseño Design Program, Caracas, Venezuela. Courses: Graphic Design, Introduction to Visual Communication, and Web Design.
Seminars
Seminars and Study Groups completed during the Foreign Objekt Posthuman Art Laboratory Residency, 2021–2022
2022 | Speculative and Unbounded Posthumanism — David Roden, PhD (UK)
2022 | Does the Subject Matter? — Romina Wainberg, Stanford University
2022 | Psychoanalytic Topology — Alireza Taheri, PhD
2022 | Posthuman Dialectics: The Antinomy of Corporeality and Abstraction — David Roden, PhD
2022 | Kant and Hegel: The Phenomenon-Noumenon Distinction — Borna Radnik, Kingston University
2022 | Localization in Counterfactual Worlds — Patricia Reed (Berlin)
2022 | Hegelian-Lacanian Variations on Late Modernity — Alireza Taheri, PhD
2021 | Adorno and Marcuse / Dardot and Laval on Marx — Ray Brassier, American University of Beirut
2021 | The Perspectivism of Platforms — Zé Antonio Magalhães and Lukáš Likavčan
2021 | On Goodman and the World Behind Schemes — David Roden, PhD
2021 | Posthumanism and World Building — Francesca Ferrando, PhD (NYU)
2021 | Speculative and Unlimited Posthumanism — David Roden, PhD
2021 | Nelson Goodman’s Ways of Worldmaking — Cássia Siqueira and Sepideh Majidi
2021 | Real Abstraction — Jaleh Mansoor, Alberto Toscano, Roberto Finelli, and others
2021 | The Art of the Posthuman Existence — Francesca Ferrando, PhD (NYU)
Independent Research
2016 | Aesthetics and the Senses — Brooklyn Institute for Social Research, New York
2005 | Two Mind Conceptions: Descartes and Wittgenstein — Philosophical Association Group GRAF, Venezuela
Education
1998 – 2002 | Visual Communication, Specialized in Digital Media, PROdiseño, Caracas, Venezuela.
1996 – 1998 | Visual Arts, Villasmil de León de Caracas, Art Center, Caracas, Venezuela.
Certifications and Training
2023 | Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Certification, at Emeritus MIT xPRO.
2021 – 2023 | Science Fiction Creative Writing. Dictated by Prof. and author José Urriola (UCAB).
2022 | Poetry Mentorship. Dictated by Prof. and Poet Elonora Requena (UCAB).
2021 | Sewing. The New York Sewing Center. New York, USA.
2019 | Mig Welding. MakerSpace NYC. Brooklyn, New York, USA.
2018 | Sewing. Mood Fabrics. New York, USA.
2018 | Screenprinting. EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop (RBPMW). New York, USA.
2016 | Arduino platform. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. New York, USA.
2014 | Screenprinting. Organización Nelson Garrido (La ONG). La Cucaracha Serigráfica. Caracas, Venezuela.
2013 | Photography. Organización Nelson Garrido (La ONG). Caracas, Venezuela.
1996 – 2000 | Airbrush Artist, Specialized in Fantasy Art. Iran Caro Airbrush Studio. Caracas, Venezuela.
1997 | Children’s Books Illustration Workshop. Banco del Libro (Book Bank). Caracas, Venezuela.