Migration Echoes, 2023

Migration Echoes, 2023 strives to create a stark, but striking installation featuring Mylar emergency blankets arranged on the floor. For me, the Mylar blankets are a symbol of the crisis occurring at the US-México border. In detention centers, children and families rely on these reflective blankets to keep warm in holding cells known to them as hieleras or iceboxes. The blankets on the floor are accompanied by a series of UPCs (Universal Product Code) which signals the dehumanization of people without entry visa to the US. If you assume yourself to be a passive observer in the gallery, this is all you get. But if you physically entered the installation and choose to wear the headphones provided, an audio element enters the space. This is bound to elicit an emotional response that contrasts with the cold, brutal and austere installation. The shoe is that grain of sand that causes discomfort prompting one to recognize the humanity of the crisis. I have included response of some of the viewers.