Adriana Flores

Conference Report. December 2024
Sustainability: for whom?
Ancestral cultures found solace and community around the fire. They gathered to share stories of the motion of celestial bodies, findings of animals and plants while exchanging seeds, and dancing to nourish the fire's spirit. They understood that the fire's preservation transcended its physicality; it fostered connection and shared the pulse of life. Tragically, today, the memory of an entire people, Palestine, faces erasure, symbolized by the very flames that once brought communities together.
The 56th CIMAM Annual Conference provided a crucial platform for examining the core concept of 'Sustainable futures,' specifically addressing critical questions: how, when, for whom?
Throughout the events, observing the diverse backgrounds of speakers, grantees, and members of the organizing committee, I questioned whether a shared understanding of 'sustainability' truly existed among all participants. Subsequent discussions with colleagues and grantees revealed that our approaches to sustainability were inextricably linked to our respective geopolitical contexts.
How can we envision potential and sustainable futures while avoiding the pitfalls of hegemonic thinking?
In her seminal 1938 work, Three Guineas, Virginia Woolf underscored the importance of developing a glossary of her own voice in order to frame her interrogatives around the patriarchal system and its underlying political structures. Similarly, Ursula K. Le Guin's 1969 novel, The Left Hand of Darkness, masterfully employs science fiction as a metaphor-tool for imagining alternative futures. Both authors challenge conventional parameters of literature and create their own methodology, by harnessing imagination to shape language and subvert dominant narratives.
I believe this year's CIMAM conference underscored the urgent need to address geopolitical tensions and reimagine our approaches, grounded in principles of social justice, climate action, and equity. Crucially, the need to reshape definitions and methodologies emerged as a promising starting point if we aim to envision a future that is inclusive and responsive to the diverse voices invited to gather around the fire.
Biography
Adriana Flores (b. 1993) is an independent curator and cultural manager of transdisciplinary projects at the intersection of eco-critical, postcolonial studies, and contemporary artistic practices.
Her commitment to environmental protection and promotion of ecological awareness is fundamental in her work as a curator and founder of the curatorial platform Lava. Through this platform, in collaboration with her team, they develop projects that seek to foster empathy for environmental care and raise awareness about planetary crises through aesthetic, eco-critical, and collaborative practices in the Americas.
She has curated exhibitions in galleries and independent spaces internationally, including Ecuador, New York, Berlin, and Mexico City. Her critical writings have appeared in platforms such as Artishock, OndaMx, and Chiquilla te quiero. She has led workshops and provided mentorship for institutions like Arte Actual FLACSO, Radio 28, and Cobertizo, among others.
Adriana Flores, Independent Curator and Director of Lava, Mexico City, Mexico, has been awarded by Aimée Labarrere de Servitje, Mexico.