Doors of Hope: art to raise awareness of violence against the LGTBIQ+ community

In an effort to offer a space for visibility and support for the experiences of LGBTIQ+ people, Fundación José Antonio Llorente, the Casa Frida shelter and the renowned Galería Hilario Galguera, within the program of its Cuarto de Máquinas platform, presented the ‘Doors of Hope’ project.

In Mexico, more than 2,030 cases of discrimination and violence have been reported in the last 3 years against this community. ‘Doors of Hope’ makes visible the resilience, courage and effort of people from the community who were forced to leave their homes, offering an artistic reinterpretation of their experiences.

The project has at its core a series of works created by seven prominent artists, who have collaborated with members of Casa Frida’s LGBTIQ+ community in order to reinterpret their stories of resilience using doors, representing those that were closed in their homes as well as those that have been opened to them, as a canvas. Casa Frida is a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive protection and accompaniment to community members fleeing extreme violence, youth who are expelled from their homes because of their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, including people living with HIV and other key populations, as well as survivors of the Efforts to Change Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (ECOSIG).

The exhibition, which will be held at the Machine Room of the Hilario Galguera Gallery in Mexico City from November 16, 2023 to January 13, 2024, brings together a selection of national and international artists including: Denisse Noriega (Mexico), Alexis Martínez (Mexico), Issa Salliander (Sweden), Bárbara Lázara (Mexico), Daniel Dugan (United States), Yupica (Japan) and Israel González (Mexico).

Each artist contributed their unique perspective and talent to bring to life the stories of Abril, José, Greta, Nikky, Ángel, Diane and Andrés, where the intervened doors are a representation of those that were closed to them at home, that people left behind, and those that were opened to them thanks to Casa Frida in their search for authenticity. The art pieces will be available for purchase and the funds raised will be donated to Casa Frida, LGBTIQ+ shelter, to continue generating more safe spaces.

“This project seeks to denounce the systemic violence suffered by the LGTBIQ+ collective, but also to illuminate the resilience of people who have faced the challenging context. Being able to use art as a tool for social mobilization that encourages action, through donations, or awareness seems to us key to move forward and ensure that projects like Casa Frida can increase their impact,” said David Gonzalez Natal, Partner and Managing Director of LLYC Northern Region for Latam and spokesperson for the Fundación José Antonio Llorente.

‘Doors of Hope’ is a call for reflection and solidarity with those who have faced challenges on their path to authenticity and acceptance.

To learn more about the project visit www.puertasdeesperanza.com