Alexis Joy Hagestad

(Un) Obstructed Migratory Routes

Through CCI AI Horizons, Alexis plans to continue her multimedia project, (un)obstructed 
migratory routes, which investigates the migratory patterns of the Mexican FreeTailed Bat. 
Their seasonal migration spans from the central and southern United States to Mexico. 
The construction of the border wall significantly obstructs these migratory
processes, fragmenting habitats and disrupting navigation due to intense lighting, which
contributes to light pollution affecting various wildlife. Through this project, Alexis will use AI to
bridge human intent and the needs of non-human species. By utilizing bat echolocation
combined with creative coding, Alexis will enable the bats’ echolocation to manipulate photographic
elements, allowing them to take a leading role in the image editing process. 

Alexis' research will be conducted in the San Rafael Valley, a crucial wildlife corridor that remains 
largely unobstructed but is now facing imminent construction of the border wall. During two trips, 
Alexis plans to record bat echolocation and capture video and photographs for her project. The 
outcome will include a multimedia visual project presented in an online gallery, featuring videos and 
photographic prints that showcase the impact of bat voices on the artistic process. This project will 
highlight multispecies relationships and the importance of considering voices beyond human experience,
using AI to metaphorically translate these voices.

This project will enhance Alexis' ongoing artistic research on multispecies relationships. Alexis aims to 
highlight the voices of other species, bringing them to the forefront to challenge conventional human 
perspectives. This work will be showcased in an online gallery, featuring prints of the bat-edited images 
alongside videos of bat echolocation affecting the photographic pixels. In terms of community, Alexis' research 
will be published on a public online platform for all to visit and experience.