Candelaria/Chaxiraxi Guadalupe/Tonantzin – Musa México 2026
In 2026, MUSA turns its gaze back to Mexico — a country that starred in one of its earliest editions, in 2015. This return revisits that bond from a fresh perspective, drawing closer to a land of extraordinary diversity as well as the deep historical and human ties linking Mexico and the Canary Islands. Candelaria/Chaxiraxi, by Larisa Pérez The Virgen de Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands, holds various memories — more or less hidden — beneath her mantle. One of them is the insular-Amazigh memory which, through diverse spiritual, aesthetic, and political forms of resistance, reaches us to this day. These marginal memories are explored through a broader project, 'Vírgenes y momias' ('Virgins and Mummies'), an (auto)ethnographic inquiry in which I enter into dialogue with some of the Christian icons and archaeological remains that inhabit the archipelago, drawing on comparative analysis and following the trail of other Catholic cults — particularly Marian ones — across Europe, Africa, and Abya Yala. This project began with a research residency at Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (2023) and has since led to two further residencies within the Island Connect programme of Creative Europe (2025), with stays in Corsica and Ireland. Over these years, she has led urban walks/workshops in collaboration with the Ateneo de La Laguna (2024) and Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (2025). She has also presented the performances 'Posiblemente, orilla quieta' (TEA, 2023) and 'Ceremonia' (Fabrique du Teatre, 2025), as well as the co-creation 'Diablas y dominadoras' with Daniasa Curbelo (Auditorio de Tenerife, 2025). She has delivered the lectures 'Vírgenes y momias: el lado oscuro de la canariedad' (University of Évora, 2025) and 'Vírgenes y momias: otra forma de sentipensar la historia' (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 2026), and has published the articles/chapters 'Orilla quieta' (Pikara Magazine, 2024) and 'Entre vírgenes: crónica de un paseo dominical' (Ateneo de La Laguna, 2024). Forthcoming: 'Vírgenes y momias: recordando el futuro' (Editorial Trea).
