Carmen Campuzano

The theme of this project was migrants or, more precisely, the memories that are often the only belongings that migrants leaving their homelands are able to take away with them.

Approximately 130 children between the ages of five and fifteen participated—residents of orphanages, participants in workshops for the visually impaired, and others from community centers. Five wooden structures, each about two meters high and joined triangularly, and five wooden benches were designed by the children. Small pieces of wood were affixed to these surfaces and then painted to fashion landscapes in which city landmarks were recognizable: the Centro Cultural, the bus station, the cathedral, the lighthouse, the beaches of Tijuana, the border, parks, and so on. What made the project unique and inimitable were the personal experiences of the children that became the bits and pieces that defined its contours, the “baggage” each of us carries within and will never leave behind.

The project began in March and was completed for its inauguration on August 19 at Parque México in Playas de Tijuana. The portable murals and sculptural constructions then were moved from one site to another. “Memorias” Murals on Wheels was a gift of the children to the community. Involvement in an art event of the scope of INSITE97 suggested to its young collaborators ways in which they could play an active role in their community.

Project director: Patricio Bayardo

Organizers: Albergue Temporal Tijuana, DIF; Casa Hogar Santa Teresita; Departamento de Cultura Municipal, Tijuana; Fundación para la Protección de los Niños, IAP; ICBC; Orfanatorio Emmanuel; Taller de Invidentes; UIA

Venues: Albergue Temporal Tijuana; Casa Hogar Santa Teresita; Centro Comunitario Universidad Iberoamericana Plantel Noroeste (UIA); Fundación para la Protección de los Niños, IAP; Instituto de Cultura de Baja California (lCBC); Orfanatorio Emmanuel; Parque México, Playas de Tijuana; Taller de Invidentes

Acknowledgments