Agricultural Transition: 3D Animation + Renders
Today we’re sharing a project that holds special significance for us, the residents of Mendoza.
In late 2025, a group of prominent archaeologists contacted us because they were on the verge of being published in Nature Journal thanks to a scientific paper that brought encouraging news: they had managed to identify a unique genetic component in the southern Andes, called the “Central Southern Cone” (CSC), which persists in the populations of Argentina today. This refutes the idea of a demographic extinction of indigenous groups in the region.
The team had planned from the outset to secure the cover of Nature thanks to this momentous discovery; therefore, our work began by designing a cover layout and then using the various scenarios presented to create standalone content.
We started, naturally, with the concept; from concept to execution.
It was a project with few stages. First, present the idea—a population walking through a double helix (DNA) where we read (from top to bottom) the key stages in the history of the area’s indigenous peoples: their transition from hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers, through their various tragedies—diseases, nutritional stress, and migrations.
Once the cover concept was established, we began with style tests and walking cycles—in short, the look and feel of the animations.
Beyond the crises, the indigenous legacy of South America continues to walk among us.
We wanted to embrace a handcrafted aesthetic. From the outset, we envisioned the project as a scaled-down representation, almost like a model. Certain findings that emerged from our research—such as the importance of family structure and the dominant role of women—inspired a sense of warmth and tenderness. The almost naive depiction of this world stems more from respect and care than from frivolity.
Above all, our intention was to create a welcoming world.
Migraciones
Cazadores
Enfermos
Cosecha
In the end, the cover wasn't selected for that issue (a decision that always depends on many factors), but if it had been, it would have looked like this:
P.S.: The text in the image is for reference only.
CREDITS
Concept & Direction: FIEL® Estudio
3D Animation & Motion Graphics: FIEL® Estudio
Illustration: MAUCO
Production: FIEL® Estudio & MAUCO
