México Now: Caricature and Revolution

Wednesday, 6:00 pm EDT - 7:15 pm EDT November 5, 2025

The Center for Fiction
& Livestreamed

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In-person attendees will be admitted on a first-come, first-seated basis. Registration does not guarantee entry. All registrants will receive a link to livestream the event.

Discover how art can spark revolution in this dynamic conversation with renowned Mexican cartoonist, writer, and historian Rafael Barajas (“El Fisgón”). Drawing from his research, Barajas will trace a vivid line from 17th-century religious prints to the satirical magazines of late 19th- and early 20th-century that would ultimately play a decisive role in igniting the Mexican Revolution.

Challenging the traditional Eurocentric narrative of Western political art, Barajas will show how works like the French La Caricature, by Charles Philipon, inspired Mexican artists to develop their own distinctive approach to political satire. He’ll share more about how publications, such as El Hijo del Ahuizote and El Colmillo Público, became critical tools of propaganda and popular political education—helping to lay the groundwork for revolution.

One of Mexico’s most influential cartoonists and the recipient of multiple journalism and cultural awards, Barajas brings a rare perspective that bridges art, history, and activism. This event offers an opportunity to hear from a master of satire whose work continues to challenge and inspire.

This event is part of the México Now Festival.

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Featuring

  • Rafael Barajas Durán _ Photo courtesy of artists2

    Rafael Barajas

    Rafael Barajas

    Rafael Barajas Durán, known as El Fisgón, was born in Mexico City in 1956. A graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, he is one of the country’s most influential political cartoonists. He has published his cartoons in La Jornada since 1984 and co-founded iconic magazines such as El Chahuistle and El Chamuco. The latter gave rise to the television program Chamuco TV, which he has co-hosted since 2018. A disciple of Rius, Helio Flores, and Naranjo, he has used caricature as a tool for political criticism, popular education, and historical memory. He has illustrated more than thirty children’s books, written and illustrated his own works, and published political and educational comics. He has published several books on the history of Mexican art, including seven volumes on the history of caricature in Mexico. Since 2006, he has collaborated regularly as a curator at the Museo del Estanquillo, where he has developed numerous exhibitions on political graphics and visual culture. He has also mounted exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and the Cineteca Nacional. Among other awards, he has received the National Journalism Award in 1999 and 2018, a Guggenheim Fellowship (2002 and 2003), and the La Catrina award from the Guadalajara International Book Fair in 2010. Since 2018, he has directed the National Institute for Political Training of Morena (Morena). Committed to social transformation, his work encompasses political criticism, history, art history, and political activism.

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