Nación Trans: A Photographic Exploration of Indigenous Trans Women and Colonial Legacies

Nación Trans is a photographic project by Antonio López Díaz that explores the historical and current roots of discrimination faced by indigenous trans women in the Americas. The exhibition delves into the impact of colonization on gender identities and highlights the resilience and resistance strategies of these women.

Nación Trans, a photographic project by Antonio López Díaz, critically examines the pervasive discrimination experienced by indigenous trans women across the Americas. The exhibition traces the historical roots of this discrimination back to the process of colonization, initiated with European arrival, which imposed systems of domination that profoundly altered the social, cultural, and spiritual structures of indigenous peoples. This colonial process not only led to territorial dispossession and racial marginalization but also enforced a moral order based on gender binarism and normative sexuality, effectively erasing or repressing diverse gender identities previously recognized in many indigenous societies, such as the muxes of the Zapotec, the empupillan of the Mapuche, the nadleeh of the Navajo, or the wigudun of the Guna. The project powerfully portrays how these colonial legacies continue to shape the lives of indigenous trans women, resulting in familial expulsion, precarious living conditions, and vulnerability. Beyond illustrating these challenges, Nación Trans also serves to visibilize the remarkable resilience and diverse strategies of resistance employed by these women. The concept of 'Nación Trans' proposes the formation of a community built on solidarity, the pursuit of bodily autonomy, and the creation of new forms of belonging from the margins of dominant society.

This exhibition is included with the general admission to the permanent exhibition. Visitors can see the exhibition from April 9 to September 20, 2026, in the Sala La Tapada on the first floor.