The

Abstract. The present paper is a mapping study of digital fabrication laboratories in Latin America. It presents and discusses results from a survey with 31 universities' fab labs, studios and independent initiatives in Latin America. The objective of this study is fourfold: firstly, to draw the cultural, social and economic context of implementation of digital fabrication laboratories in the region; secondly, to synthesize relevant data from correlations between organizational structures, facilities and technologies, activities, types of prototypes, uses and areas of application; thirdly, to draw a network of people and institutions, recovering connections and the genealogy of these fab labs; and fourthly, to present some fab labs that are intertwined with local questions. The results obtained indicate a complex "homo faber" network of initiatives that embraces academic investigations, architectural developments, industry applications, artistic propositions and actions in social processes.

Latin America has experienced scripting and digital fabrication, and the alliance between designers and artisans. Taking into account that the revival of crafts has proved very promising in Latin America (Borges, 2015), the objective of this research is to analyse the diversity of cases and select those where designers took an interest for strengthening the artisans' jobs in the field of pottery and textiles. We found that both revitalised the identity and cultural tradition in their own countries, in a moment when craft seemed to drop in front of industrial production. By preserving traditional materials, pieces continue to be unique and customizable, transcending thus their local origin towards new global markets.

In moments when the artisanship tradition seems to disappear because of industrial production, we analyze cases where digital fabrication and visual programming were used in Latin American craft, encouraged by architects with skills in digital tools. The situations confront artisans with access to digital platforms and internet, use of learned skills, and the need to modify the technological level in their products and processes. Regional initiatives, which could change contemporary design history in the region with the establishing of a trans-disciplinary systematized synergy, show that traditional materials are used and unique components maintain their originality, from a region that attempts to enter into new global markets.Keywords: Artisan; Latin America; Digital Fabrication; Craft. IntroducciónSegún el Diccionario Oxford, artesano es un trabajador en un comercio especializado, sobre todo uno que implica hacer cosas con la mano". En el mismo contexto, el Diccionario de la Real Academia Española, define artesano como una persona que "ejercita un arte u oficio meramente mecánico". Finalmente, los artesanos de Sennett (2009) son en un sentido muy amplio, programadores informáticos, médicos o artistas, carpinteros, directores de orquesta o tejedoras (p.20). Para Sennett, "toda artesanía se funda en una habilidad desarrollada en alto grado" (p.32).

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