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Rubén Antón

Vector artist and researcher into LGTBIQ+

A vector artist and LGBTIQ+ researcher, both through archives and on the street, Rubén Antón has been proclaimed as the first “archaeologist of Iberian transvestism and guardian of LGBTIQ+ memory”. She was born in Palma de Mallorca and, in the artist’s own words, “badly brought up in Madrid and overindulged in Barcelona's Chinatown”. By means of her work, and her art and historical memory project Drag is Burning, Rubén’s reclaiming the history of transvestism in Spain from the 15th century up to the present day, embarking on a unique historical journey through almost six centuries of silenced and forgotten people “who lived as they wanted and not how they were told they should live”.

Rubén has held over 100 art exhibitions on transvestism and produced more than 100 podcasts since 2020, travelling extensively from Barcelona to Dubai. In the audiovisual field she’s worked with the communications team of Netflix Spain and with the D'A Film Festival and the film festival FIRE!!, both at the CCCB as well as the French Institute in Barcelona. Rubén recently took part in the project entitled ‘An LGBTI perspective on the History Museum of Catalonia’ and gave the talk ‘500 YEARS OF TRANSVESTISM. Origins and meanings throughout history’ at the Disseny Hub Barcelona.

Currently, in addition to working on her art collections, Rubén has also embarked on the eighth season of her Drag is Burning podcast, as well as collaborating with Betevé, Barcelona's public TV channel, on its transvestite culture section and taking part in festivals, talks and projects related to the LGBTIQ+ community.

Update: 6 February 2025

Has participated in

Amors on FIRE!! 2024

Selection of Barcelona's LGBTI film festival, FIRE!!