PENÉLOPES exhibition at Casa América Catalunya in Barcelona.
Migration and Waiting
Penélopes, a project by photographer Héctor Mediavilla, explores migration through the lives of Mexican women whose partners have left—most often for the United States—and never returned. Drawing on the myth of Penelope, the work reinterprets waiting not as a passive state, but as a complex experience shaped by absence, endurance, and resilience.
Developed over two years, the project focuses on women who remain behind, sustaining family life while navigating uncertainty. They carry forward the responsibilities of home, work, and motherhood, holding onto the hope of offering a better future for their children. In this context, migration is experienced not through movement, but through the emotional and social consequences of distance.
Project and Process
The exhibition brings together around 40 photographs, alongside four video installations featuring the testimonies of the women portrayed. These voices add depth to the visual narrative, revealing stories of separation, adaptation, and strength within a broader context shaped by predominantly male migration flows and deeply rooted social structures.
At its core, Penelopes sheds light on a dimension of migration that often remains invisible: the experience of those who stay.
A Shared Reflection
A key element of the project is the participatory installation Who Have You Left Behind?, which invited visitors—many of whom had also experienced migration—to contribute personal images of loved ones and places left behind. These contributions formed a collective archive of memory and belonging, expanding the project beyond documentation into a shared emotional space.
Exhibition
Penelopes premiered on January 18, 2012 at Casa Amèrica Catalunya (Barcelona), accompanied by a public discussion on women and migration with participants from cultural and institutional fields. The exhibition remained on view until the end of April, marking the starting point of its wider international journey.
