An exhibition of the Mexico City of paintings that depict sexualized and queer Christian priests and nuns has called on fiery complaints of religious groups and right-wing figures that have kept protests in the museum for more than a week.
Artist Fabián Cháireez’s exhibition La Venida del Señor ((The arrival of the Lord) Open on 5 February in the Academia de San Carlos Centro Historico, a building connected to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Unam) in Mexico City. In accordance with the artist’s practice to break sexual diversity and subversions of traditional gender roles in reversations of Mexican history and Christianity, the series of nine paintings from 2018 to 2023 shows consecrated women and men in suggestive poses.
“It is an exercise in which I make a comparison between religious ecstasy and sexual ecstasy, two things that would look like contradictions but actually have more in common,” Cháirez said Hyperallergic In Spanish above WhatsApp.
Some paintings have the nuns with their eyes closed in ecstasy, using glasses of wine or folds in robes as allocation on digital penetration, while priests are depicted, performing individual or group fellatio on melting altar candles, kneeled on hands and feet to red wine Drinking from a cup, and licking the nailed feet of Jesus Christ on the crucifix.
The Mexican chapter of the Association of Christian Lawyers (AAC), furious with the content of the exhibition, says that it has filed a legal complaint against Cháirez to the National Council to prevent discrimination (Conapred), a government agency founded in 2003 To promote and resolve the policy for equality. Complaints of alleged discriminatory actions. As reported by InfobaeThe AAC’s complaint was digitally signed by 9,000 people and claims that La Venida del Señor “Saves the right to freely claim someone’s faith without being the purpose of attacks,” quotes Article 24 of the Mexican Constitution.
AAC refused to comment via e -mail, with reference to the confidential nature of the complaint.
“There is a double standard of the audience that feels offended,” Cháirez explained HyperallergicAdding that many of the complainers are ‘characters who are self -determined as’ the new Mexican right -wing’. Conservative figures such as Mexican Senator Lilly Téllez” Luis Felipe Calderón Zavala (son of the former Mexican President Felipe Calderón), and “Ultra -conservativeActor and extreme right -wing leader Eduardo Verástegui Understand their contempt for the exhibition Online.
“I think there are other issues where we have to protest against, such as the abuse of power and sexual abuse of the church in the church,” the artist continued.
In addition to the AAC complaints, the exhibition has had to deal with several protests at the location of groups that are offensive to the portraits of Cháirez. On Valentine’s Day, February 14, Catholic demonstrators organized the San Carlos with signs with the text: “Blasphemy is not art outside the academic world and accused the artist of creating” Christian Christian “in Mexico.
Another intervention took place in the gallery yesterday, February 19, when members of the Catholic community of Unam entered the space and organized a symbolic closure of the show with careful tape, signs and t-shirts decorated with the expression ” and Nombre del Arte “(” Don’t insult my faith in the name of art “). The promotion was peaceful and the participants left without incidents.
“As an artist and member of the LGBTQ community, the fact that the far right makes a profit, quite uncomfortable,” Cháirez continued. “But it is important that we reconsider our strategies to confront every violence with which we can be confronted, especially by looking for a community and trying to make contact with people in real life who can think differently than us and in other contexts Existing- by sharing information so that others can understand that difference, freedom of expression, freedom of artistic expression and all liberties. “
Right: In a Latex Luchador mask, Fabián Cháirez poses on site between two paintings from the solo exhibition.
This is not the first time that Cháirez’s artwork has taken criticism, in particular because of the LGBTQ+ content or interpretations of the paintings as such. An exhibition from 2019 dedicated to the Mexican revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata in the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City became the location of a protest that escalated in violence between representatives of the farmer’s trade unions of the nation and LGBTQ+ Activists about the inclusion of The 2014 portrait of the Inclusion of the artist 2014 portrait of the portrait of the artist of the inclusion of the 2014 artist of the 2014 portrait of the inclusion of the 2014 portrait of the inclusion of the 2014 portrait of the artist of a nude Zapata with a pink Sombrero and sitting pin-up style on a horse . The museum kept the painting, but removed it from the publicity campaign of the exhibition and added a wall text that expressed the disagreement of the Zapata family with the representation of Cháirez.
Regarding La Venida del SeñorCháirez said that since the start of protests, Unam has taken some security measures for visitors and staff on their part. “
Valentina Di Liscia has contributed to reporting and translation assistance.
