Iconoclasm and feminisms: the resignification of space from the Chihuahua Government Palace

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the role of iconoclasm concerning the Government Palace building in Chihuahua, following the feminist marches held in recent years in this city. From a methodological standpoint, this study was developed using a qualitative approach. It was based on a bibliographic analysis and semi-structured interviews with actors involved in the demonstrations and the field of heritage preservation.

This study highlights the diversity of perspectives surrounding iconoclasm, the reinterpretation of public spaces, and its potential to drive social and political change. Thus, it serves as a tool of memory, which has been re-signified and consequently altered in its function in response to the social realities of Chihuahua. Although not free from criticism in terms of heritage preservation, the transgressive nature of iconoclasm is seen by these actors as a space for participation and the promotion of new values to reshape the present and future of society, based on a reinterpreted past.

Considering this situation, there is an urgent need for a concept of heritage preservation that considers the social and political changes of the context, encourages a broader perspective from academics and public representatives, and focuses on understanding new ways of reclaiming history, fostering the capacity for dialogue to address the demands of society.