Naomi Rincón Gallardo's Tzitzimimes Trilogy at Artes Mundi 10
Naomi Rincón Gallardo is among seven nominees for Artes Mundi 10, the UK's largest monetary prize at £40,000, presented with the Bagri Foundation. Her project at Chapter in Cardiff features a trilogy of videos—Verses of Filth (2021), Sonnet of Vermin (2022), and Eclipse (2023)—accompanied by sculptural props and drawings. The works imagine tzitzimimes, skeletal demons from 16th-century colonial Central Mexican manuscripts, descending into a neocolonial necropolis amid planetary cataclysm. The trilogy unfolds mythical-political underworlds born from Mexico's damaged territory since the war against el narco, addressing violence, dispossession, and forced displacement. Rincón Gallardo cites influences including Rita Laura Segato's 'pedagogies of cruelty,' Audre Lorde's erotic power, Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui's visual culture, Ileana Diéguez's 'work of the gaze,' and Sara Ahmed's figure of the arm raising from the tomb. The exhibition runs through 25 February across five venue partners in Wales, with the winner announced in January. ArtReview is a media partner.
Key facts
- Naomi Rincón Gallardo is nominated for Artes Mundi 10 alongside Mounira Al Solh, Rushdi Anwar, Carolina Caycedo, Alia Farid, Taloi Havini, and Nguyễn Trinh Thi.
- Artes Mundi 10 is presented with the Bagri Foundation and awards £40,000 to an established international artist.
- The exhibition is open across five venue partners in Wales, featuring major solo projects by each nominee.
- Rincón Gallardo's project includes a trilogy of videos: Verses of Filth (2021), Sonnet of Vermin (2022), and Eclipse (2023), plus sculptural props and drawings.
- The tzitzimimes are skeletal demons from 16th-century colonial Central Mexican manuscripts, depicted with bleeding mouths and knifelike tongues.
- The trilogy addresses Mexico's war against el narco and its consequences: violence, dispossession, disappearances, and forced displacements.
- Rincón Gallardo draws on theorists including Rita Laura Segato, Audre Lorde, Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, Ileana Diéguez, and Sara Ahmed.
- The winner of Artes Mundi 10 will be announced in January.
Entities
Artists
- Naomi Rincón Gallardo
- Mounira Al Solh
- Rushdi Anwar
- Carolina Caycedo
- Alia Farid
- Taloi Havini
- Nguyễn Trinh Thi
- Teresa Margolles
Institutions
- Artes Mundi
- Bagri Foundation
- Chapter
- ArtReview
Locations
- Wales
- Cardiff
- Mexico
- Central Mexico