Resumen

OLALDE RICO, Katia. Embroidering for peace and memory in Mexico: femininity without submission and democratic aspirations. Debate fem. [online]. 2019, vol.58, pp.1-30.  Epub 19-Mar-2021. ISSN 2594-066X.  https://doi.org/10.22201/cieg.2594066xe.2019.58.01.

In the present article, I compare the work of the Fuentes Rojas (Red Sources) and Bordados para la Paz (Embroidering for Peace) Guadalajara collectives with the argument that, in the context of the “war against drug trafficking in Mexico,” hand embroidery was an ideal activity for recovering the memory of victims of violence, due to its ability to activate the body, elicit sensations, awaken feelings and unsettle participants’ rational minds. On the basis of this analysis, I suggest that the Embroidering for Peace and Memory Initiative attempted to make embroidery evoke a type of femininity represented as a source of warmth, solidarity and openness, that was not submissive, resigned or the exclusive province of women. Lastly, I propose that the attributes that justified the exclusion of hand embroidery from Fine Arts proved ideal for implementing collaboration schemes inspired by the democratic principles of “freedom and equality for all”.

Palabras llave : Embroidery; Corporeality; Gender and democracy; Private/public distinction; Cultural action; Gender roles.