Religious groups in Mexico City are fighting to shut down gay artist Fabián Cháirez’s provocative exhibition

The Mexican Association of Christian Lawyers (AAC) has formally filed a complaint against Cháirez with the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED), arguing that the exhibition violates Article 24 of the Mexican Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom.

The complaint has been digitally signed by over 9,000 people, citing the use of religious symbols in what they claim are offensive and blasphemous contexts.

At the heart of the exhibition is the titular painting, La Venida del Señor, which depicts two altar boys licking a Paschal candle, with melting wax evoking ejaculatory symbolism.

Other works portray nuns and priests in suggestive poses, with allusions to sexual acts intertwined with religious iconography.

Cháirez, known for his subversive and LGBTQ-inclusive depictions, sees his work as a necessary confrontation of societal taboos.

“It’s an exercise in which I make a comparison between religious ecstasy and sexual ecstasy, two things that would appear to be opposites but actually have more in common,” he told Hyperallergic.

Protests erupted outside the exhibition on February 14, when Catholic demonstrators organized a sit-in and held an open-air mass, demanding the removal of the artwork. A more disruptive protest followed on February 19, when members of UNAM’s Catholic community entered the gallery, wrapped caution tape around the paintings, and staged what they called a “symbolic closure” of the show.

The protesters, wearing shirts emblazoned with “No ofendas mi fe en nombre del arte” (“Don’t offend my faith in the name of art”), accused Cháirez of inciting “Christianophobia” and promoting anti-Catholic sentiment.

Cháirez remains unfazed by the controversy. Responding on social media, he acknowledged the complaint against him with a brief statement: “I have been denounced.”

In his interview with Hyperallergic, he pointed to what he sees as a double standard in the outrage. “I think there are other issues we should be protesting against, such as the church’s abuse of power and sexual abuses within the church,” he said.

UNAM has implemented security measures in response to the protests but has not indicated any plans to shut down the exhibition before its scheduled closing on March 7. Cháirez views this as a positive stance.

“It’s important that we reconsider our strategies to confront any violence that we might face, especially by seeking community and trying to connect with people in real life who might think differently from us and exist in other contexts,” he said.

The protests and legal complaints surrounding La Venida del Señor underscore the ongoing tensions between artistic expression and religious belief in Mexico. While some view the exhibition as a necessary challenge to traditional narratives, others see it as an outright provocation.

As Cháirez’s work continues to stir debate, the broader question remains about where the line should be drawn between free expression and respect for religious sensitivities.