An installation by Génesis places us at the scene of a reina polimerica who has been pumped with black-market silicone, tools still blood-warm at her side. And another by Moreno features a mystical creature emerging from a wasteland of earth and cement with its stiletto-talons crawling into a new dimension.
Flowers were given, literally and figuratively, to each of the artists whose work make up the group exhibition, yet Moreno and Génesis insist applause alone won’t sustain the lineage on display. The real tribute, they argue, is routing pesos and dollars back to the artists, organizers, and archivists who keep México’s trans culture alive.
I sat down with both curators for Them to unpack the sentimental archaeology behind the show, and why reparations, not just visibility, must fund the future for trans lives.
Antonella Rubens in front of her portraits at the opening reception.Photo Courtesy of Museo de Arte Transfemenino
First of all, congratulations, because we’re here within a historic context that you’ve propelled – one you’ve filled with lots of care, and love, with time, labor, and vision. Tell me more about your curatorial process and what visitors can expect at the Museo del Chopo.
You’re tracing five decades, 50 years, of art by 39 trans women! That’s a significant task, and both of you, as curators and as vanguards of memory, are carefully illuminating this artistic and cultural lineage.
Sofía Moreno: We’re actually starting with a whisper, a very small conversation. This isn’t the full lineage. We can’t claim to cover all trans culture in Mexico. Within this small conversation, we hope other research and investigations can happen.
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