IMCAP Opens ‘Queer: Art, Memory and Resistance’ Exhibition in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The Municipal Institute for Culture and the Arts of Playa del Carmen (IMCAP) has opened the exhibition “Queer: Art, Memory and Resistance” at the downtown Art Gallery, running through June 27. Guided tours are offered on Mondays at noon and 4 p.m.

The exhibition is part of a series of Pride Month activities, including a Pride March on June 28, promoted by the administration of Mayor Estefanía Mercado to strengthen inclusion in the municipality, said Ernesto Santiago Martínez Cuéllar, IMCAP’s director general.

The show brings together various artistic disciplines exploring diversity, memory, identity and contemporary experiences of the LGBTQ+ community, creating a space for reflection, dialogue and visibility through art.

Exhibition coordinator Silvio Hernández expressed satisfaction “because together with IMCAP we have reached the Art Gallery.” Art, he noted, is a tool for reflection, visibility and social activism. “It’s important to make the community’s talent visible and for citizens to understand why we march,” he said.

Participating Artists

Iván Castelán presents a video in which viewers explore the inner feelings of the character Kai. Over 27 minutes, actor Daniel Bolaños and dancer Alejandro López explain the complexity of building and understanding one’s own identity.

Magdiel Cabañas’ documentary photography captures the moment the City Council approved a commemorative action for Pride Month, as well as past marches and the day the rainbow flag was placed on the Municipal Palace.

Martín Salazar’s paintings reinterpret six flags representing different sexual and gender identities, including the Non-Binary, Bear, Lesbian, Pride and Trans flags. The series also includes a depiction of Jesus Christ illuminated with the colors of the pride flag.

Isaac Barrera’s editorial photography showcases emblematic moments for community members, linked to various expressions of identity and gender representation over several decades.

Gallery Hours

The Art Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon to 8 p.m.