mural residency in Brussels
This was a mural designed for the Queers on the Move QOM community, which is at the intersection of queerness, migration and arts. This mural was designed throughout a whole month of activities, discussions and workshops around migration, specifically queer asylum seekers and their struggles.
While I did not have to go through the process of seeking asylum in belgium, I have undergone migration twice in my life. The first time as a baby, migrating from Mexico to the US, and then later in life, I decided to move to Belgium from the US. Both traumatic in their own right, I put all that emotional energy into this mural.
Anxiety around all of the following all at the same time: belonging, being a good migrant or not, "behaving" being othered, being alone and not at the same time, neither from there nor here, institutional violence, daily micro aggressions, asimilation, language barriers, cultural shock, adapting, making friends, work, rat racing, making art and being passionate.
While I did not have to go through the process of seeking asylum in belgium, I have undergone migration twice in my life. The first time as a baby, migrating from Mexico to the US, and then later in life, I decided to move to Belgium from the US. Both traumatic in their own right, I put all that emotional energy into this mural.
Anxiety around all of the following all at the same time: belonging, being a good migrant or not, "behaving" being othered, being alone and not at the same time, neither from there nor here, institutional violence, daily micro aggressions, asimilation, language barriers, cultural shock, adapting, making friends, work, rat racing, making art and being passionate.
