As part of its 40th edition, the Guadalajara International Film Festival reaffirmed its commitment to art as a space for freedom with the launch of the Maguey Award activities. The Jesús Guerrero Galván Gallery, located in the “Juan José Arreola” Jalisco State Public Library, hosted the opening of *Honestamente, Denisse Guerrero*, an exhibition that pays tribute to the voice and aesthetic of a generation: Denisse Guerrero, lead singer of the iconic electro-pop group Belanova.
On Tuesday morning, the ribbon was cut by Guillermo Gómez Mata, president of the Festival’s Board of Trustees; Estrella Araiza Briseño, general director of the FICG; Pavel Cortés Almánzar, director of programming and the Maguey Award; Ricardo Luévanos, a visual artist from Guadalajara; Chilean actress Daniela Vega; and the honoree, Denisse Guerrero Flores.
The exhibition marks the kickoff of the Maguey Award’s activities, which this year celebrates its 14th edition by promoting an open, diverse, and creatively vibrant film scene. Within this context, the exhibition becomes more than just a retrospective: it is a living work brimming with sensitivity and generational memory.
The exhibition offers an immersion into the creative universe of Denisse Guerrero, a central figure in 21st-century Spanish-language pop whose influence has transcended music to take root in aesthetics, desire, and the collective imagination. Through mannequins, sketches, photographs, and costumes, the exhibition reveals the intimacy of an artist who has known how to reinvent herself.
“It’s not just about the clothes. For me, what matters most is the heart and soul of each artist who creates the costumes I wear on stage,” Denisse said during the ceremony. The carefully curated exhibition showcases the work of designers and artists who have been part of her career.
Ricardo Luévanos, who was tasked with creating the visual interpretation of the EMME piece for this edition of the Maguey Prize, thanked Denisse for her collaboration and said he was thrilled to work with such a talented team. True to his style, Luévanos reinterprets the artist’s figure through a fantastical lens, infusing the everyday with a sensibility that bridges the intimate and the iconic.
Arturo Gómez Mata thanked both Guerrero and Luévanos for “opening up and allowing the public to enter their world with generosity and courage.” Estrella Araiza, for her part, highlighted the importance of the collaborative work that makes these exhibitions possible, noting that the entire Festival is built on shared efforts.
Pavel Cortés Almánzar highlighted the work of Álvaro Valadez, as well as the curatorial vision of Miriam Villaseñor and Hugo Lugo, which were essential to showcasing what he called “gems of pop culture design.”
Beyond being a tribute to a pop star, the exhibition is structured as a collective narrative: a celebration of a network of creative individuals who have woven together an aesthetic rooted in freedom, respect, and authenticity.
The title of the exhibition, *Honestly, Denisse Guerrero*, refers not only to one of Belanova’s greatest hits but also to the tone in which this tribute has been conceived: a candid look at the artist behind the icon. Throughout her 25-year career, Denisse has been more than just a figure in the music world: she has embodied the sensibility of those who have loved differently, dreamed in neon, and danced with a broken heart. That is why the exhibition stands as a celebration of diversity, music, and that vital impulse to experience art as an act of love.