SOMETHING TO DO WITH CROSSING...
2012 - In the 1980s the Arteaga Family lived a block away from the border fence in Calexico, CA. Their proximity to the fence separating their neighborhood from Mexicali, B.C., imbricated them in a system of informal exchange: blouses, shoes, bedding and a slew of other items left unattended on the family clothesline were taken by migrants who had just crossed the border "illegally." In their place, migrants would leave soiled t-shirts, boots, or other items. This informal object exchange system is replicated in the gallery as visitors are encouraged to take a photograph of clothing that is hung from the clothesline, and in its place leave behind an actual article of clothing. The clothes collected at the end of the show are photographed to recreate the installation at a later date, and donated subsequently to the Hotel del Migrante, a migrant shelter in Mexicali, B.C. The original installation was accompanied by testimonies of migrants who had crossed the border through unsanctioned entry-points in the desert, juxtaposed with the accounts of the Arteaga Family. |
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