"Históricas is a visual project born from a collective longing — a shared dream between Mauricio Holc and Héctor Villalobos to collaborate with the historic travesti trans women of the Archivo de la Memoria Trans Argentina (AMT), whose work and legacy they profoundly admire and love.
The project emerges from an acknowledgment: that the processes of identity-building, the ongoing quests, struggles, and desires of newer generations are deeply inspired by the older travesti and trans companions of Argentina. The publications and actions of the Archive have illuminated paths of queer joy and hope, imagining a less binary, less clandestine Argentina — one that recognizes its own memory and dares to narrate and reimagine it.
“A historical archive allows us to know, understand, and verify the truth of events that form part of our collective memory. Marcela, Teté, Mychel, Sonia, and Mónica embody a living archive — one filled with recollections and images from an era they were able to survive.”
These women belong to the Archivo de la Memoria Trans Argentina, a space dedicated to preserving, protecting, and honoring trans memory — today more necessary than ever. The Archive is both a repository of remembrance and a gathering place for the women who once stood at the forefront of a nascent struggle for rights and visibility.
In a country where the average life expectancy of a trans woman is 35 years, the power of these portraits lies not only in their imagery but also in the vitality of their voices, smiles, and gazes. Each one tells a story as raw as it is luminous — a testimony of survival, dignity, and tenderness.
As structural violence continues to intensify against the most vulnerable groups, protecting our Históricas becomes imperative. They are the flag bearers of resistance — those who remain and those who never made it. To celebrate them is to speak of their legacy, to honor their contribution to a fairer and more inclusive society, and to uphold their struggles as guiding lights in times marked by denialism and individualism.
In 2025, the Comprehensive Gender Identity Law, enacted in 2012, stands under threat from new public policies and a growing climate of social hostility. Argentina’s history is complex — but for the trans community, it has been particularly painful. Portraying them, therefore, is not only an act of commemoration but also one of justice, celebration and reparation.
May a bright blue sky forever exalt them, and may their faces — strong, alive, and unyielding — continue to show us the way.
HISTORICAL REPARATION NOW!”
Founded in 2012 in exile by trans activist María Belén Correa, coinciding with the passing of Argentina’s Gender Identity Law, the Archivo de la Memoria Trans Argentina (AMT) emerged as a virtual meeting place for trans and travesti survivors scattered around the world.
What began as an online exchange of memories, photographs, letters, and police records soon evolved into a comprehensive archival project. In 2014, with the collaboration of visual artist Cecilia Estalles, the AMT began its ongoing mission of safeguarding and preserving community memory.
Today, the Archive holds more than 15,000 documents, spanning from the early 20th century to the late 1990s — including photographs, films, sound recordings, press materials, IDs, passports, letters, police files, magazine articles, and personal diaries.
Its mission is to collect, protect, and amplify the life stories of Argentina’s trans community, while its vision is to serve as a collective memory and documentary reference for trans identities worldwide.
The AMT’s documentary ethics are rooted in the fight against transphobia, the promotion of education and socio-labor inclusion, and the denunciation of all institutional or social violence. It is also a cooperative space, where artists, activists, archivists, journalists, historians, curators, editors, and educators come together to create new projects through diverse languages and disciplines.
The current team includes: María Belén Correa, Cecilia Estalles, Carola Figueredo, Teté Vega, Luis Juárez, Sonia Beatriz Torrese, Carolina Nastri, Marina Cisneros, Katiana Villagra, Iris Kaufman, Luciana Leiras, Marcela Navarro, Mychel Aguilera, Lina Etchesuri, Sofía Naara, Alejandro Correa, Muriel Bruschi, and Mónica del Valle Arancibia.
Over the past decade, the Archive has published numerous books and fanzines, distributed throughout Argentina, Latin America, and internationally. Its members have participated in exhibitions, talks, and conferences around the world, inspiring the creation of other trans archives globally and offering a model of collective care and historical reparation.
Creative Direction Photography: @mholcph @lavariantechola
Cast: Marcela Navarro, Sonia Hernández, Teté Vega, Mychel Aguilera, Mónica del Valle
Styling Art Direction: @santiagomunozgamboa
Styling Assistants: @lu_bianchi @branheredia
Makeup / Assistant: @junirib @saralamberti__
Hair Wigs / Assistant: @petraparaquett @alejomoises_
Production: Mauricio Holc / La Variante Chola / Santiago Muñoz
Production Assistant: @soljanik
Catering: Adriana
Photography Assistant / Backstage: @pabloliviero_
Históricas text: @elcasomarinapeque
Special thanks to the Archivo de la Memoria Trans Argentina.
