TBQA Vol 2 | Efimero | 2023 | English
As your tour guide through The Bureau of Queer Art, I am incredibly proud to spotlight the cornucopia of artistic talent and intellectual engagement in these pages and the accompanying podcast.
This year has been a reflection and redirection catalyzed by my health journey and the collective experiences we’ve all navigated. These global and personal disruptions remind us of the importance of art—how it captures moments of grace, serves as a balm in times of upheaval, and provokes us to reimagine our worlds. The works and words featured in this issue exemplify these functions spectacularly.
If it’s the identity you’re interested in, then Mason Weiss and Joan Cox offer compelling visual narratives. Weiss’s bear sculptures grapple with the intricacies of trans identity, making palpable the fluidity and tension that come with self-discovery and acceptance. Joan Cox paints with an intimacy and an emotional depth that captures the essence of female relationships in a way rarely represented.
Gautham Acharya’s meditative works act as introspective pauses, asking us to slow down and think, while Leo Wang’s installation, “Caution on the Dance Floor,” warns us of the dangers of hedonism, even as it seduces us with its vibrant hues. Embracing identity takes a front-row seat in Laurence Bousquet’s compelling journey, presented through hand-drawn and digitally colored autobiography and advocacy for trans males.
You’ll be pulled into the gripping narratives spun by Alex Torres Marroquin, who brings us stories of trans sex workers in El Salvador and his own journey— juxtaposing vulnerability, play, and resilience in their architectural installation projects. In contrast, Sho Peng’s minimalist paintings focus on the private, intimate moments that make up our lives but often escape our notice.
For those intrigued by the mechanics of art, we feature “The Art of Selection,” a riveting curators’ dialogue that peels back the layers of gallery curation. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone who understands the symbiosis between an artist and its exhibition space.
Architectural buffs will find resonance in Emmanuel Rodríguez-Mazón’s textural compositions that tread the boundary between two-dimensional art and spatial design. Similarly, Roberto Rafael Navarrete’s luminous performance spaces play with light and form to redefine conventional stage design.
Luis Antonio Ramos Ruiz models aspects of CDMX seldom seen by the casual tourist, and Laura Ortiz Vega, whose thread paintings redefine the limitations of the medium. We close with Arturo Alanis’s photo series on the Metro subways of CDMX, thought-provokingly titled, “Human beings are good by nature, public transport corrupts them”—a social commentary on how spaces can alter human behavior.
There are so many talented artists, from emerging to senior, within the pages of this issue, I hope you find yourself within its pages. Brace yourself for an enriching and eye-opening experience as you journey through Volume 2. Expect to be confronted, soothed, provoked, and above all, inspired. Your tour of The Bureau of Queer Art starts now.
The Bureau of Queer Art is available on Spotify and Apple Podcast platforms.