Thinking about art as an exercise and tool of engagement with social, historical and cultural concerns informs how I work as an artist and facilitator of art1. Parting from the position that art can be an exercise of ontological nature that produces new artifacts and perspectives, I approach my own practice in this manner. I engage with my identity as that of a cuir2 Mexican man and the lived experiences produced by it. Crafting work that draws on various aspects of my existence; primarily, my personal encounters with ‘machismo’ and heteronormative culture.

Through a deeper analysis of lived events, my work engages directly with the structures, discourses and national imaginaries that uphold and inform what Mexican society sees as Cuir(ness). I focus on shedding light on the discourses about gender and sex in Mexico, how these have produced margilanization and violence towards those of us who do not adhere to the normative aspects. Mapping and making visible these networks I work on deconstructing them and creating a cuir future. I view my practice as a way of materializing the cuir imaginary, using the production of art as a means of bringing visibility to the historical violence3 lived by cuir folks in Mexico in an effort to produce change. The work produced takes the form of film, text or performance; mediums that have the ability to produce wider accessibility and outreach.

Applying a similar approach to that of my personal practice, as a facilitator I prioritize art and artists who interact with complex issues that may touch on but go beyond personal query. This concern with art and artists that are able to address the personal while also discussing larger context parallels my belief on art being a tool for reflection as well as community building. As a facilitator, I aim to create space for community and people through art and creative means.

1.A facilitator of art is an individual or group whose function within art institutions, whether small or large, is similar to that of a curator but operating on a horizontal structure, breaking the position of authority given to curators.

2.Cuir as a variation of queer, adapted to spanish. Although a controversial terminology, Dr. Sayak Valencia Triana presentsaveryclearanalysisandargumentationmadeinthebook QueerGeographies ,fortheuseof cuirw hen discussing “a type of choreographic flow of becoming-minorities” (Valencia Triana 2014, p.91-93). In the specific context of my art practice cuir envelops this and addresses more specifically sex and gender dissidents and minorities.

3.I argue that the violence lived in Mexico by cuir individuals is not new, but rather the product of a series of events such as colonialism, religion, and the Mexican Revolution among several others, creating a discursive frame that shifts and modifies itself to fit the time but its core remains.