Mestizaje(s): Alterity, Gender and Internal Colonialism in Mexican Visual Cultures

Abstract

Latin America has forged a collective identity across its diverse nations by emphasizing mestizaje—the cultural,
'racial’, or ethnic blending resulting from Spanish and Portuguese colonialism—as a defining characteristic. This
concept has profoundly influenced notions of gender, race, and class throughout the region. This dissertation
examines oder explores how social segregation and categorization, articulated in the concept of mestizaje, are
enforced and perpetuated through visual vocabularies. Rather than celebrating interculturalism, as it is commonly
portrayed, mestizaje is deeply rooted in racial discourses that perpetuate discrimination against the ‘non-mixed’,
such as indigenous peoples and foreigners. In its political dimension, it turns into a strategy of 'whitening' the
population rather than a genuine call for inclusivity. My dissertation examines the visual cultures associated with
mestizaje, exploring both its oppressive and liberating aspects.

Short biography

Visual artist, cultural scientist, and curator. Her artistic practice is theoretically driven, it addresses identity
constructions and issues of representation with an intersectional perspective. She studied Humanities in Mexiko
and Critical Studies in Vienna. Since 2020 she has been working as a university assistant for Artistic Research at
the University of Arts in Linz.