Vito Acconci proposed to extend the existing US-Mexico border fence that runs 300 meters into the Pacific Ocean by constructing a floating island that would move with the tides. Fabricated with sand and rocks atop a fiberglass structure, the island would have umbrellas to provide shade and space for swimmers from either side of the border to rest. Envisioned to represent a liminal space, the island would allow people to escape the border’s constraints on people’s lives and movement, if only temporarily. Due to various obstacles, including permissions and construction costs, Island of the Fence/Isla en la muralla remains unrealized.
Curators: Jessica Bradley, Olivier Debroise, Ivo Mesquita, and Sally Yard
Venue: Pacific Ocean and border fence
Austin Design Group