Trench 2020

Trench is a photographic collage of more than one hundred women*, girls and babies who stand united, strong and resilient, showing dignity and diversity within the subway and bus transportation systems in Mexico City. The representation of women in such a way in spaces designated for public transportation is of utmost importance, giving us the opportunity to re-appropriate and re-signify spaces that are generally hostile towards us.

*All human beings self identifying as such.

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It is a call to unity and to create a network of protection and care among us, and at the same time it presents ourselves together in the face of the rampant gender based violence we are living in the country, where as of mid 2020 there are 12 femicides daily. The title refers to the fact that Mexico is at war against women, where gender violence is not personal, but structural and therefore is perpetuated by the State.

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Trench was installed in 9 subway cars and on the columns of the Glorieta de Insurgentes in Mexico City. Subway line 1 (pink) was chosen for Trinchera since one of its stations, Pino Suárez, presented the highest rate of complaints of sexual harassment in 2019. The re-appropriation and our self representation within spaces that are constantly violent against our bodies is essential to repair the social fabric. [1]

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The project will remain permanently on the train and indefinitely in the Glorieta de Insurgentes, which helps to give visibility to the issue throughout the year and not only on emblematic dates such as March 8th and November 25th. The project will be reactivated with an intervention by the participants and the public will be invited to take part when the current health crisis allows it.

 

The project was commissioned by the 2020 Tiempo de Mujeres Festival.

 

[1] https://www.contralinea.com.mx/archivo-revista/2019/12/08/metro-de-la-cdmx-59-denuncias-por-narcomenudeo-y-231-por-violencia-sexual /