From Zines to Digital Revolution

In the savage landscape of digital art, a beacon of radical inclusion has emerged. Presente, a project that began as a humble visual art fanzine in 2020, has evolved into a full-blown digital crusade supporting Trans, Travesti, and Non-Binary (TTNB) communities. What started with 20 artists creating physical work has morphed into something far more expansive and potentially transformative — a digital platform where art becomes both weapon and shield for marginalized identities.

The announcement came through the digital ether on February 27, 2025, when the creator behind Presente declared their migration to the digital realm: 'PRESENTE: Digital Art Supporting TTNB Communities.' No longer constrained by the limitations of physical printing, the project has set its sights on something more ambitious, more far-reaching. It's not simply art for art's sake, but art as a lifeline.

The Art of Emotional Survival

"Seeking for digital art that feels like a warm embrace. Think of it as sending a virtual 'you're not alone' message," reads the open call posted on March 1st. There's something peculiarly powerful in this request — not art that shocks or provokes, but art that comforts and connects. In a world increasingly fractured and hostile toward gender diversity, Presente is demanding something revolutionary: tenderness.

The call welcomes both artists from TTNB communities and allies of all gender identities. This isn't about exclusion but expansion — creating a digital space where representation isn't just a buzzword but a tangible reality. The art being sought isn't meant for cold gallery walls but for direct emotional impact: "Create something that makes the viewer feel comforted, seen, and loved. A gentle reminder that we're all connected, even from afar."

The Economics of Empathy

What's particularly striking about Presente is its commitment to channeling resources directly to the communities it represents. One hundred percent of proceeds are donated to support TTNB organizations, specifically Hotel Gondolín (a 20+ year shelter for TTNB individuals in Buenos Aires) and Bachillerato Mocha Cellis (the only high school for gender diversity in Buenos Aires).

This isn't charity — it's mutual aid in its purest form, using art as the medium of exchange. In its previous incarnation as a magazine in 2022, Presente showcased 60 artists primarily from Argentina and Chile. Now, with its digital evolution, the project has the potential to connect artists and viewers across continents, creating not just art but a global community of support.

The open call represents not merely an opportunity for artists to showcase their work, but the birth of a digital sanctuary where emotional support can be rendered in pixels and code. In a cultural moment where the rights and dignity of TTNB individuals are under constant attack, Presente offers something rarely found in the digital wilderness: a space where vulnerability is not exploited, but embraced.

The Digital Collection Takes Form

As dusk settled on March 1st, the machine roared to life with urgent news: invitations had been dispatched to artists for Presente's first collaborative collection. "Check your notifications on Objkt!" came the frantic transmission, alongside a form for newcomers wishing to join this crusade of compassion before the March 15th deadline.

The collection materializes like a desert mirage at Objkt.com, no longer theoretical but a growing digital sanctuary. Behind the scenes, a fierce commitment to transparency has emerged – every transaction to the beneficiaries will be documented with photographic evidence, a public accounting of where this art-fueled money flows.

"I'm bursting with excitement to see how their pieces enrich the collection and to finally send the proceeds to the beneficiary organizations!" writes the creator, with the fevered enthusiasm of someone who knows they're building something that matters. There are plans to physically visit both Hotel Gondolín and Mocha Celis – not content with digital distance, but determined to forge real human connections between art and impact.

This isn't just a collection being assembled, it's a movement gaining momentum. The machinery is now in motion, the gears grinding forward with inevitable purpose. The only question that remains: whose art will join this digital revolution, and how powerful will its impact ultimately become?

The Digital Collection Expands

As March 3rd faded into night, another tremor rippled through the Presente universe – the release of "1stLove," a new digital creation unleashed upon the rodeo.club platform. No fanfare, no verbose explanation, just raw art dropped into the digital ether with the cryptic designation "✦♡ᐢ..ᐢ♡✦" – a constellation of symbols that speak their own strange language.

This piece joins the growing arsenal of digital weapons being crafted to funnel support toward communities under siege. Each new artwork represents another strand in this web of mutual aid, another pixel in the mosaic of resistance forming against a backdrop of institutional hostility.

The artwork's title – "1stLove" – carries its own potent subtext, suggesting primal connection, the genesis of affection, perhaps even a challenge to a world that often denies TTNB individuals their right to love and be loved on their own terms.

This digital collection continues its inexorable growth, expanding not merely as artistic expression but as economic infrastructure – a beautiful machine constructed to move resources from the digital realm into the physical spaces where TTNB lives hang in the balance.

The Fever Pitch Intensifies

By March 3rd, the beast was fully unleashed – "🎨 PRESENTE OPEN CALL IS LIVE! 🎨" screamed the announcement, adorned with hypnotic pink-gridded artwork featuring cartoonish star creatures with expressions ranging from sad to startled. This wasn't just another art solicitation; this was a psychedelic battle cry for the marginalized.

The machine now operates with clockwork precision: applications open until March 15th, a form that buzzes with electric possibility. For the uninitiated, a free webinar looms on March 6th – in both Spanish and English – a digital hand extended to those who haven't yet ventured into this strange new territory.

"I'll be sharing more of the process soon," promised the creator in a cryptic aside, suggesting layers yet to be revealed. Meanwhile, the historical context materialized through archive footage – Instagram filters from Presente's "offchain era" and glimpses of a 2022 event called "Balanceo" where a cartoon dog with a halo balanced precariously on wavy lines. These are the breadcrumbs, the origin story of something that has evolved from physical zines and primitive social media filters into something far more ambitious.

The zeitgeist is captured in the breathless urgency of each update: "I'm bursting with excitement to see how your pieces enrich the collection," wrote the creator, "and to finally send the proceeds to the beneficiary organizations!" This isn't just about art – it's about tangible support for real people in real places.

As March 15th looms on the horizon, the question remains: who will answer this digital clarion call, and what strange and beautiful creations will emerge from this cosmic intersection of art, identity, and mutual aid? The stage is set, the invitations have been sent, and the collection awaits its metamorphosis.

Tragic Reality Meets Determined Response

As the open call campaigns were reaching fever pitch on March 3rd, a somber message cut through the noise. "Watching this makes me feel immense pain," wrote the creator, sharing footage from a 2022 visit to Hotel Gondolín. The message continued with a gut-punch revelation: "My contact and main manager of the hotel was a victim of transvesticide." The raw grief poured through the digital wall – "I can't help but cry while writing this" – a stark reminder that this art initiative isn't academic theory but a response to lethal reality.

The Spanish term "transvesticide" specifically denotes the murder of trans women, highlighting the targeted violence this community faces. "Unfortunately, these things happen all too often," the message continued, "and it's one of the reasons that drive my fight for the community."

But amid this heartbreak came evidence of tangible support. The video showed a fresh transfer of funds to Hotel Gondolín, with Spanish text confirming: "Today we made a new money transfer to Hotel Gondolín." This wasn't just talk about future plans – this was real money reaching real people facing deadly challenges.

The juxtaposition could not be more severe: as the colorful, cheerful promotional materials circulated announcing the open call, the shadow of violence and loss hung heavy over the very community the project aims to support. This is the brutal context in which Presente operates – not an abstract exercise in digital art, but a desperate scramble to funnel resources to organizations literally fighting for survival.