In the heart of Mexico City, just a few blocks from the Portales metro station in the Municipality Benito Juárez, there is a house that serves as the headquarters for the association WOMB, a collective of artists convinced that the world can be healed through art, a project resulting from a binational relationship between the United States and Mexico.
Joui Turandot, artist, Founder, and Director of WOMB MÉXICO, spoke with Mexican Press Agency (MxPA) about the work of this artist collective and her vision of contributing to the community as an American migrant on Mexican soil.
“A house is made for community, for love, and for living together,” Joui commented, noting the importance of having a physical space where artists can create and share their work, as well as providing the San Simón Ticumac neighborhood with a space to promote community workshops.
The WOMB director described the project as an “international community,” as she herself is originally from the United States and has lived in the Aztec territory for seven years.
Joui doesn’t just want to be only a guest in this country; she has requested the opportunity to obtain Mexican citizenship to participate in the civic life of her community.
The ties between the two countries also extend to the project itself, as much of the funding for the “Indeleble” mural project, which seeks to create murals in the San Simón neighborhood with community participation, has come from the United States.
Dan Silva, muralist and cultural manager at WOMB, told MxPA that the goal of the “Indeleble” project is to create an art district with community participation. The project’s activities include muralism, training seminars, open workshops, lectures and exhibitions, as well as the creation of a cultural tour in the neighborhood.
“This is about reinforcing identity, about empowering the community a little, so that it can reinforce its identity and its symbolic value in the face of industrial and commercial growth,” the muralist commented.
Regarding the recent tensions between Mexico and the United States, Joui commented that “most of it is invented to create distractions from the larger systems of each country. We’re all trying to find the best life we can, and we need to stop fighting among ourselves.”
Recently, the rejection of digital nomads in Mexico City has been expressed in anti-gentrification marches, which have seen xenophobic expressions from protesters in the capital.
Regarding this rejection, Joui said: “I haven’t felt any real tension. What I have noticed is that it’s very difficult to find a decent place to live right now. I have many Mexican and American friends who are having a hard time finding a place at a reasonable price.”
The artist also commented on Americans who migrate to Mexico City, but find it difficult to integrate into the community: “I’ve noticed bubbles and they’re not as present in their impact on the community and have no interest other than spending their money, but I think they’re not bad people; they just need more education about the situation and to participate, to get out of their comfort zone.”
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Mexican Press Agency is part of ALMA, which is dedicated to news and information about Mexico and Mexicans in the United States and is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Focus, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Redwood City, California.
