Vulture & Fireflies: Book Launch and Q&A
About the work of Alejandro Galván, Art, Urban Developments, Injustice and Violence
In the House of Contemporary Culture Marres, there is an exhibition and artwork in progress of Mexican artist Alejandro Galván. He resides in Nezahualcóyotl, at the outskirts of Mexico City, a place in which political neglect and violence issues have configured the social panorama. His often highly detailed paintings blend realism with mythology, narrating his experiences growing up in this environment, and depicting the corruption of the Mexican state and police.
On the occasion of Alejandro Galván’s exhibition Vultures & Fireflies at Marres, a book is being released, curated by Tonatiuh López and Laura Martinez. This publication features stunning visuals, essays, and poetry by different contributors.
During this book launch we dive into various aspects of the work of Alejandro Galván with different experts. The artist himself and Laura Martinez, one of the two curators of the book will also be present.
Issues that will be addressed are urban planning and environments in Mexico City, social participation, art and activism, violence and injustice in society, including femicide, how Mexican politics and corruption are responsible and the importance of sharing stories.
Guest speakers
Tonatiuh López is, next to Laura Martinez, the curator of the book. He is a Mexican curator, art historian, writer, and activist. His work explores intersections of art, gender, sexuality, and social justice, with a focus on community-driven practices and critical pedagogy. In his curatorial practice, he emphasizes the importance of community engagement and the democratization of art.
Sergio Alvarado Vazquez is a researcher at the University of Twente who’s work mostly focuses on urban planning and design, working with society for the development of public spaces and tackling issues related to insecurity. Part of the outputs was the development of a digital tool called AMACHAN (www.amachan.io) to create an active community, bringing awareness of the current urban issues, collecting the lived experiences and communicate people with decision-makers to develop better inclusive cities.
Lydiette Carrión Rivera, who will join online, is an independent journalist and Mexican writer. Her investigations depict the violence against women in Mexico. She is the author of the book La Fosa de Agua, an investigation that documents cases of femicide in the municipalities of Tecámac and Ecatepec. She contributed to the book that is launched.
After the talk it is possible to visit the exhibition Vultures & Fireflies at Marres (Capucijnenstraat 98) till 20:00. The exhibition runs to 31 August 2025. You can find more information on https://marres.org.
This programme is organised in cooperation with The House of Contemporary Culture Marres.