Poleo Painemal and Claudia Rodríguez: Queer Spirituality as Ancestral Science Fiction
In a compelling article for Artishock Revista, Rox Gómez Tapia explores the influence of Mapuche travesti artist Poleo Painemal and the late author Claudia Rodríguez, who passed away in 2025. The essay emphasizes spirituality as vital for queer communities, contrasting it with the conservative stance of "Con Mis Hijos No Te Metas." Painemal's exhibition at Santiago’s Museo de Arte Precolombino, scheduled from 2024 to 2026, will showcase an oil painting series reflecting ancestral stories. Rodríguez's 2023 work, "Ciencia ficción travesti," introduces a new dimension to queer narratives. Gómez Tapia advocates for connection and hope against neoliberal isolation.
Key facts
- Rox Gómez Tapia authored the essay 'Ciencia ficción ancestral: Hacia una espiritualidad cuir'.
- The essay discusses artists Claudia Rodríguez (1968–2025) and Poleo Painemal.
- Poleo Painemal is a Mapuche travesti artist.
- Painemal's series is titled 'si el género cis-binario es un monocultivo, les travestis somos bosque nativo' (2026).
- The series includes portraits of Shakin Huaiquil, Ange Cayuman, and Pewmayen Guarachi.
- The exhibition was part of the Tramas laboratory at Museo de Arte Precolombino, Santiago de Chile (2024–26).
- Painemal uses the Mapuche methodology of ñütram (oral storytelling).
- Claudia Rodríguez published 'Ciencia ficción travesti' in 2023.
- The essay references a 2023 conversation between Karen Barad and Manuela Infante.
- Susan Stryker's 2025 book 'Cuando hablan los monstruos' is cited.
- María Galindo's concept of 'feminismo bastardo' (2022) is invoked.
- The organization 'Con Mis Hijos No Te Metas' (CMHNTM) is critiqued.
- The essay was published on Artishock Revista on July 19, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Poleo Painemal
- Claudia Rodríguez
- Rox Gómez Tapia
- Karen Barad
- Manuela Infante
- Susan Stryker
- María Galindo
- Felipe Cussen
- Shakin Huaiquil
- Ange Cayuman
- Pewmayen Guarachi
- Mikaelah Drullard
- Leonel Catoni
- Shane Cienfuegos
- Gael Palape
- Fabian Vargas
- Franco Fuica
Institutions
- Artishock Revista
- Museo de Arte Precolombino
- Tramas
- Corporación Nacional de Desarrollo Indígena (CONADI)
- Con Mis Hijos No Te Metas (CMHNTM)
- Hekht
- Bellaterra Ediciones
- Caja Negra
- Editorial USACH
- Ediciones del Helénico
Locations
- Santiago de Chile
- Chile