The things they carried
How are stories represented by objects found in borderlands?
The protagonists of my project are objects found in borderlands. Pieces of clothing of which the labels were removed to delete any traces of the owner’s identity, sneakers with carpet on the soles to hide footprints, or pocket mirrors used to signal in case rescue is needed. These items evoke stories and make us think about their political significance.
Drawing on a collection of such objects, I want to explore how they were perceived as an idea, how they were made, used and left behind. Using cultural probes, creative writing and ethnographic research at the US-Mexican border, the aim of my project was to discover the hidden stories of these items as part of their aesthetic dimension.
My research resulted in a video installation. Playing with expectations and the element of surprise, it presents a series of objects covered with white paint, and three boys with a migration background talking about the meaning of these objects.
