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Shaping the Past Exhibition – The Memory Castle (El castillo de la memoria)

Thalia Fernández Bustamante is an activist and human rights defender from the Indigenous Otomí community of San Francisco Xochicuautla in Lerma, Mexico. Her work increases public awareness of the state government’s plans to build a highway through ancestral lands. She documents the conflict through photography, video, and art, specifically centering the participation of women and children in defense of their territory while highlighting their communal experiences and ancestral knowledge. 

In collaboration with the Do Xente Audiovisual Collective, Thalia Fernández Bustamante has produced documentary films, including Ga Mi Do Xente, which focuses on women in her community, and Somos el Presente, which centers the children of Xochicuautla. These documentaries have been shown in communities, cultural spaces, and universities throughout Mexico. 

instagram.com/audiovisualdoxente

Thalia Fernández Bustamante

Thalia Fernández Bustamante

© Thalia Fernández Bustamante

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“Brujas verdes Otomíes,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020

“Brujas verdes Otomíes,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020

Courtesy of the artist

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TOP LEFT: “Cocina tradicional,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020; BOTTOM LEFT: “Children of Xochicuautla, Castillo de la memoria,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020; RIGHT: “Cocina tradicional,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020

TOP LEFT: “Cocina tradicional,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020; BOTTOM LEFT: “Children of Xochicuautla, Castillo de la memoria,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020; RIGHT: “Cocina tradicional,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020

Courtesy of the artist

3/5

“Esperanza,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020

“Esperanza,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020

Courtesy of the artist

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“Conmemorando un sitio sagrado,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020

“Conmemorando un sitio sagrado,” San Francisco Xochicuautla, Lerma, Mexico, 2020

Courtesy of the artist

5/5