Meet Mexterminator 
  



Project Information

Meet El Mad Mex (Guillermo Gómez-Peña), Cyber Vato (Roberto Sifuentes) and La Cultural Transvestite (Sara Shelton-Mann). These undocumented "specimens" on display exhibit a variety of cultural characteristics: hybridity, hyper-sexuality, infectiousness, and unnecessarily violent behavior. They deal drugs and jalapeno peppers; speak Spanglish and gringoñol; practice experimental performance and witchcraft; and are highly politicized. Their political agenda includes invading El Norte and redefining the West. Their tableux vivants and arte-factos have been strictly designed by your fears and desires and with the help of thousands of anonymous internautas who have responded to Gómez-Peña and Sifuentes' "techno-confessional"

Part "Tex-Mex rave', "end-of-the-century freak-show extravaganza' and 'Museum of the Apocalypse", EL MEXTERMINATOR traced a new ethnographic and cultural map of Mexa York with impromptu public appearances, conceptual ads, posters and radio PSAs. As "information-superhighway banditos" and "media pirates" Gómez-Peña and Sifuentes cruised the media streams of the City with a live Internet Chat and an interactive radio call-in show. Individuals were encouraged to participate as their "favorite cultural avatars" to discuss their fears and desires of the cultural "other" and reflect on the horror of a country perceived to be under seige by immigrants and people of color.

El Museo del Barrio hosted EL MEXTERMINATOR'S "Techno-Museo de Etnografia Interactiva", which featured performances that were shaped uniquely by the audience's interactions with these ethno-cyborgs and new technologies, which created an embodiment of the visitors/turistas' own psychological and cultural monsters.



Guillermo Gómez-Peña Biography

El Mexterminator Live Mexicans on Safari in NYC Temple of Confessions

Creative Time Comments