In an era when vast accretions of consumer detritus and the vapid anecdotalism of digital media seem poised to overtake human creativity, authentic storytelling and the tangible materials of human existence take on elemental value as a means of connection, survival, and reinvention. In different media, but with the same rigorous and clear-sighted approach, artists Maximo González and Ato Ribeiro are innovating the philosophical and aesthetic sensibilities that will carry future generations forward into new modes of existence.