Arrivals and Departures, 1997

Christina Fernández’s INSITE97 project, Arrivals and Departures/ Llegadas y salidas, consisted of two installations, one on each side of the border. One sited at the San Ysidro Bus Station in the US consisted of videos, maps, and text that functioned as information/ visitor center for travelers passing through the space. Displaying information addressing historical patterns of migration, the installation challenged the notion of “legality” in the context of immigration.

In Mexico, Fernández’s installed a telescope trained on the US side of the border. In the style of a nineteenth-century nautical instrument, the telescope was located in Colonia Libertad, which allowed immigrants who might be planning to cross the border to monitor the movements and location of US Border Patrol agents.

Curators: Jessica Bradley, Olivier Debroise, Ivo Mesquita, and Sally Yard
Venues: San Ysidro Greyhound Bus Station and Colonia Libertad, Tijuana

Ricardo Castro
Alex Donis
Nemesio Fernández
Freeples Video
Greyhound Bus Lines, San Ysidro
Grupo Beta
Antonio Ogaz