A federal judge rejected a request from the Association of Christian lawyers in Mexico to indefinitely suspend the exhibition of the Mexican artist Fábian Cháirez, “The Coming of the Lord”, allowing him to potentially resume his work.
Announced on Wednesday, the decision marked an important victory for artistic freedom in Mexico, following a controversy period when the same judge rendered a previous decision which temporarily suspended Mexico City – a decision that many considered as an act of censorship.
The temporarily suspended exposure of nine large oil paintings mixes religious themes with sexual imagery and eroticism – as two nuns in an intimate pose And A priest on a leash on all fours on all fours in a cup on the floor. He Open in Mexico City on February 5.
Judge Francisco Javier Rebolledo Peña, presiding over the sixth district court for administrative issues, said this week that the request for guarantees made by the Association of Christian Lawyers (AAC) was baseless.
He is the same judge who ordered the temporary suspension of the exhibition on March 3 – Four days before its planned closing date – in order to have another hearing.
The AAC had accused Cháirez’s work of attacking the Catholic faith, triggering a national debate on the balance between artistic expression and religious sensitivity.
“Censorship in the name of God returned to Mexico,” wrote Mexican journalist and filmmaker TEMORIS GRECKO in the newspaper Milenio, blaming the exhibition on “a religious association and a conservative judge”.
Cháirez, on the other hand, called for a rally last Friday outside the place which posted the exhibition, the Academia of San Carlos, a 244 -year -old institute formerly known as the National School of Fine Arts. It is part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), which respected a provisional injunction last week to close the exhibition within 24 hours.
Placing support from artists, writers and human rights organizations, the rally event presented readings of manifests and declarations in support of freedom of creation. Among the supporters were the collective known as Catholics for the right to decide, an organization dedicated to the defense of human rights, in particular those linked to sexuality and reproduction.
The Mexico City Council to prevent and eliminate discrimination (COPRED) also condemned the suspension.
“Religion cannot be used as a weapon to overthrow democratic principles such as freedom of expression,” said Copred.
Copred stressed that the criticism or artistic representation of religious symbols does not constitute discrimination unless it unjustly deals with individuals as inferior depending on their faith.
Cháirez, 37, is known for his provocative work who question traditional standards. In 2019, his painting “The Revolution” – who represented an Emiliano Zapata Nuplely wearing high heels and a pink sombrero – Triggered protests When displayed at the Palais des Beaux-Arts. Zapata The descendants threatened legal action, while LGBTQ + supporters gathered in the defense of the artist.
Because its closing date scheduled, March 7, had already passed before the suspension was lifted, “the arrival of the Lord” (“Venida del Señor” in Spanish) has an unclear future.
Cháirez announced this week that he will reopen him, with a date and location of Mexico Instagram and / or Facebook. He also already works on a new project entitled “The second coming of the Lord”.
The case drew attention to the role of judicial harassment by conservative groups in Mexico, reflecting tactics used by similar organizations in Spain.
After the court decision, Cháirez was satisfied.
“It is a victory for social democracy,” he said in the newspaper El País. “I find it quite rewarding, and I think it is a success for the artistic community and for all of us who defend freedoms.”
With reports from Infobae,, Millennium And The country
