What would you shout at Mexico?

What inspired them to create their Action?

Isabel Masvidal explained:
"This project started with a dream that evolved over time. As Mexican women, reflecting on what spaces for expression mean in a country that continues to silence essential voices is a difficult and constantly changing journey. The project became an opportunity to examine our own privilege and the place that belongs to us in a shared struggle. While this space may fall short in terms of diversity and the variety of voices, it’s a starting point for opening important conversations. The question, 'What would you shout at Mexico?' allowed for a range of responses that left us deeply moved. From gratitude to a beautiful country that has given us so much, to slogans of struggle and demands for all that still falls short. Seeing the screams of both joy and demand captured in a mural in the heart of Mexico makes us feel profoundly proud and, above all, aware that collective efforts can have an impact on the community. Breaking away from routine to question where our voices and demands belong. Being part of a global movement brings us closer to other countries and people who may not speak the same language but share the same desire to change reality. It’s about being close in distance and recognizing ourselves in other projects and human beings. We are left with nothing but gratitude and a deep reflection on the importance of sharing from a collective perspective."
 

El Conejo de la Luna, the gallery of the famous photographer Santiago Arau. 

Ana Sofía Ruíz pointed out:
"In Mexico, there is a constant silence in the face of injustices in every context. That’s why we wanted to create a space for reflection, where, in the middle of the city’s traffic, you could hear what women have to say—whether it’s demands, gratitude, or dreams that can transform the society we live in. Over the years, as we developed this group action, we transformed the message; we evolved the way we made noise and grew together with the project. The idea of not staying the same as always inspired us to do something, but we didn’t just create a space to shout and take photos. We sought the trust of each woman who participated in this space, encapsulating their thoughts and stories, hoping that one day they could become a powerful declaration."

What were you looking to achieve with your project? 

Our goal was to make an impact—even if it was just on one person. To capture the attention of passersby in Mexico City’s traffic, where, without knowing its meaning or purpose, each person who saw it would experience a different emotion—pride, anger, joy, frustration, or indifference. We sought to understand whether art could evoke different responses in each person passing by the mural. Even though it was temporary, we wanted it to captivate in the way it needed to. We decided to take ownership of a fragment of the national anthem to convey the true meaning of the word "helpless" and transform it into a declaration that women are not defenseless. Our voices, not weapons, are the means by which we disrupt and push for change. Through 99 portraits, observed in silence, we captured screams in black and white so that, through the expressions, we could add color to these reflections.

40 portraits in one place, pasted on March 21, 22, and 23, 2025, at the corner of Agustín Melgar and Circuito Interior José Vasconcelos, Mexico City.

Who helped them carry out this action? How did they help? What challenges did they face in the process? How did they resolve them?

The Mexican context is one of the most challenging when it comes to making noise. Despite years of building a sense of protest, demands, and the need for social and cultural change, there are still structural barriers that complicate this process. When we first began our group action in 2022, we had no idea what path we would have to take to finally display our mural in 2025. We are incredibly grateful to Inside Out for their patience and the growth we experienced together. In the context where we wanted to develop this action, even having a facade on private property wasn’t enough to post the posters. Despite finding spaces of visibility for this project, they led us to dead ends. In the last three years, it wasn’t until we met the right person, Paige Zarkin, an art curator, that we fully understood the challenges we were facing. From police quotas, city hall permits, medical insurance requirements for people on scaffolds, and the difficulty of creating a non-partisan, brand-free project, the execution was undeniably complicated.

Discussion on increasing project visibility and the role of art in social impact, with the women drone pilots collective at El Conejo de la Luna.

One advantage of taking so long was that the Inside Out Project had evolved into a foundation—a foundation that believed in us and the impact we wanted to create. Thanks to the Can Art Change The World Foundation, we were able to secure the funding needed to bring our vision to life. Throughout the process, we received unwavering support from this international project, especially from Damariz, who, despite being based in New York, stood by our side to overcome the barriers in Mexico and ultimately make an impact on Mexican society, which is also part of her home.
Since this is a social issue challenging a deeply ingrained culture, one of our greatest fears was that the mural might be vandalized. However, to prevent any acts of hatred, the space we secured was highly trafficked, well-lit, located near a bus stop and a bench, and even monitored by local police patrols. This allowed us to make an impact for four days, 24 hours a day, without the risk of being silenced.

Is there a particular story you'd like to share?

One of the most beautiful moments we've experienced During this weekend of reflection, it was the amazement of strangers at the project and the feeling they generated. In particular, on the day we went to create content at dawn through the drone, a man approached me eager to express what the Mural generated in him; without cameras, without audio, simply from his heart. He told us how proud he is of his daughter, and how the Mural helped him. He expressed his gratitude for everything his daughter has achieved through her great sense of struggle, and that it is important to make visible everything women can achieve and the barriers they manage to break through by believing in themselves. With those words, and with it being only the first day, I felt well served and grateful for what this space was building. After the conversation, I reached to see that the gentleman was taking a photo of the Mural and uploading it in a Facebook post, it was undoubtedly one of the most special moments during these four days that the Mural lived in Mexico City, in one of the busiest and most emblematic areas of the city.

Isabel Masvidal and I, Ana Sofía Ruiz, spent a few hours at the Mural to share the story behind it and a colleague, to read each of the messages that the women portrayed wrote in their own handwriting, I couldn't help but contain my emotion and tears; for me, that was the second moment in which I said, thank you for not giving up on this project and managing to materialize it after so much time. In their own handwriting, these 99 women wrote their names, their hobbies, and most importantly, what they would shout to Mexico; allowing visitors to read, touch, and feel these tokens, they undoubtedly made a magical impact.

A man shared the installation on Facebook and proudly told us how the mural inspired him to value his daughter's struggle and achievements.

Local artists, all focused on social impact through art, joined also the installation. Their insights revealed the daily realities of activism. I’m proud to note that every piece of audiovisual content was created by women: from the 99 portraits (thanks to Marijosé Lomeli and Fernanda Gutiérrez) to behind-the-scenes documentation (by Paulina Ruíz and Daniela Gutiérrez), which chronicled our years-long journey. To ensure our message reached beyond the streets, I collaborated with Mujeres que Vuelan (“Women Who Fly”), a collective of female drone pilots. María Paula Martínez dedicated a dawn to filming our aerial group action. Infinite thanks to all who made this possible.

In their own words, 99 women wrote their names, their hobbies, and the most important thing they would shout about to Mexico.

How did the community react ? 

Art’s power lies in its unquantifiable ability to captivate. Whether from commuters, passersby, or those stuck in traffic, the mural sparked reflections—unique to each viewer, even if fleeting. One measurable impact was the response of the women portrayed: returning to this safe space years later, they felt nostalgia for who they’d been.

A lot of enthusiasm, a lot of power, a lot of desire and a lot of creativity.