NeO, a multisensory experience rooted in linguistic rights and the indigenous peoples of Mexico

The exhibition offers a linguistic and cultural journey that anyone can enjoy, thanks to its theoretical and methodological basis developed by Metalingua: written and audio translations in 14 indigenous languages, and labels providing information about each language, ensuring a truly multilingual and accessible experience. This is one of Mexico's responses to the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032 and the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech .

"Situating meanings is a double act of care: on one hand, I take care of the meanings I reproduce; on the other, I care for the person I relate to, by not imposing meanings that seek to generalize," said Elena Ibañez, linguist and co-founder of Metalingua.

In 2024, UNESCO and Metalingua launched an open call seeking words in indigenous languages to name people of sexual and gender diversity. Users of indigenous languages evaluated 34 linguistic and cultural forms and selected the first group of words.

Lisandro González Carrillo - educator, founder of the collective Las Nativitas, and a member of the Wixárika people from Guadalupe Ocotán, La Yesca, Nayarit - took part in the word selection process and in the inauguration, held in conjunction with the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (May 21) and the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (May 17) .