To mark the 20th anniversary of Gloria Anzaldúa’s passing, Mexican artist Amanda Gutiérrez invites the public to take part in a radio memorial for the late Chicana writer and activist. 

 

Amanda draws from her personal relationship with death, an important connection she shares with her grandmother, who believed in an infra world where we go when we pass away. She, who considered 'La Santa Muerte' her primary protector, told Amanda about this infra world—a place we remain in until the day we are no longer remembered. 

 

In Mexico, on “Día de los muertos” (The day of the dead), families place offerings at home to help the dead remain in the infra world. As such, Amanda will offer a radio memorial to the late Gloria Anzaldúa, remembering her and her legacy.

 

As part of this session, we will celebrate the work of Gloria Anzaldúa through a participatory reading and writing workshop. We will discuss and reflect upon Anzaldúa’s life and legacy, departing from two chapters of Borderlands/La Frontera (1987), while also engaging with  Gutiérrez’s listening practices to explore ways of incantation*, a connection with memory and death through radio.

 

* incantation (n.)

"art or act of enchanting by uttering magical words, with ceremonies supposed to have magical power; the formula of words or the ceremony employed," late 14c., from Old French incantacion "spell, exorcism" (13c.), from Late Latin incantationem (nominative incantatio) "art of enchanting," noun of action from past-participle stem of incantare "to bewitch, charm, cast a spell upon, chant magic over, sing spells"

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This event is part of the program Writing With the Body

Initiated and organized by Marcela Borquez, Renata Cervetto and Carla Rangel, Writing With the Body is a one-month public program running at the SBC Gallery of Contemporary Art from November 19 to December 14, 2024. Conceived as a collective learning space, the program will include the intensive workshop, as well as rounds tables, screenings, activations, and activities open to everyone. Contributions by artists Verena Melgarejo, Amanda Gutiérrez, Florencia Sosa Rey, Colectiva Polea and Helena Martin Franco, will foster a deeper exploration of Anzaldúa’s work and legacy. The public program has been put together in partnership with Artenso (Research and Innovation Centre for Art and Social Engagement), LabARD (Arts Research Laboratory in Decoloniality of UQAM), centre Turbine, OMEC-INRS (Observatory of Cultural Mediations) and DARE-DARE.

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Discover the complete program