‘Arraigo’ Opens on Palacio Cantón’s Sidewalk, Bringing Private Homes Into Public View

French documentary photographer Bénédicte Desrus officially launched her Arraigo exhibition Tuesday morning at the Museo Regional de Antropología de Yucatán at Palacio Cantón, bringing two years of quiet, door-to-door work in Mérida’s historic center onto one of the city’s most prominent boulevards.

The ceremony, held on the sidewalk along Paseo de Montejo, drew officials from Mexico’s Secretaría de Cultura, INAH, FILEY, the Alianza Francesa de Mérida, and the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. The event marked the exhibition’s debut as a public installation — the project had previously circulated as a photobook, released last October.

Arraigo — the word translates roughly as deep-rootedness or belonging — is a photographic record of the people who still live in Mérida’s downtown, a neighborhood under steady pressure from tourism, rising real estate values, and demographic turnover. Over two years, Desrus walked the Centro’s narrow streets, knocked on doors, and waited to be let in. She photographed residents using only available light — no artificial setups, no staging — and gathered their stories.

“Bénédicte entered the homes of these residents, who generously opened their doors to speak about their experiences and their connection to the city,” said Bernardo Sarvide Primo, director of Palacio Cantón, during the ceremony. “The result is a valuable record of the cultural heritage of Mérida and its inhabitants.”

Desrus, who is based in Mexico City and Mérida, is represented by Sipa Press USA. Her long-form documentary work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic, and Le Monde, among others. Her previous projects have consistently focused on communities living outside the mainstream.

Marc Burlet, director of the Alianza Francesa de Mérida, noted at the ceremony that the collaboration between his institution and Palacio Cantón has roots that go back further than this project, and that the partnership fits neatly into the broader year of commemorating 200 years of diplomatic relations between France and Mexico.

The exhibition is part of the 14th annual Feria Internacional de la Lectura Yucatán (FILEY), which runs through March 22 under the theme “Penínsulas Lectoras” (Reading Peninsulas). María Teresa Mezquita Méndez, FILEY’s director general, said the project fit the fair’s identity precisely — a work that draws readers and viewers into the private interiors of city life.

Palacio Cantón is framing the exhibition as part of an ongoing series called “Construyendo Miradas” (Building Perspectives), which pairs anthropology with visual art as tools for interpreting cultural heritage.

The choice to mount the show outside — on a public sidewalk rather than inside gallery walls — was deliberate. Foot traffic on Paseo de Montejo includes residents and tourists alike, and organizers say they wanted the project to reach people who might never walk into an exhibition space.

That evening, Desrus led a guided walk through the show, followed by a toast.

Sipa Press, which represents Desrus internationally, has a long record of placing documentary work in major publications across Europe and North America.

Yucatán Magazine’s online shop offers copies of the book for 800 pesos. Stock is very limited. Buy here.