‘Artivist’ Daniel Arzola Makes Space For LGBT Communities

By Eva Recinos

This exhibition does not have to be for your provocation.

A s a child, Venezuelan artist Daniel Arzola preferred drawing over talking to people. He tells me that he distinctly remembers that when he liked someone, he would draw them something as a token of his affection.

His family, however, didn’t share his love of art. Hoping to communicate his creativity but also please his family, Arzola settled on graphic design as a course of study. The design world seemed more practical and acceptable. But Arzola would soon undertake a project that sparked even more opposition from those around him — and ultimately put his life in danger.

His 2013 viral series “No Soy Tu Chiste” (“I’m Not Your Joke”) highlights the challenges…