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Part Three: Beyond Borders

Wednesday, 09 February 2011 07:00

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border_dynamics_3Alberto Morackis and Guadalupe Serrano wanted to remind the world of the effect barriers have and they wanted to make it a large reminder.

In 2002, Morackis and Serrano created a 14-foot-tall, 900 pound temporary installation on the Nogales, Sonora and Nogales, Ariz. border wall entitled Border Dynamics.

Thomas Whittingslow, founder of the Beyond Border Binational Art Foundation, began to spark interest at the University of Arizona to move the piece from the border to the University.

"The piece was purchased for $50,000," said Alfred Quiróz, art professor at the University of Arizona.  "Whittingslow started the movement with support of Chicano Affairs here at the University."

Then president of the University of Arizona Peter Likins held a ceremony in September 2003 once the University purchased Border Dynamics.  The piece was initially placed on the UA's Mall until relocated outside the Harvill Building on 2nd Street.

"I really had no idea what Border Dynamics was," said Paige Sager, sophomore business major at the University of Arizona.  "Now that I know it resembles the Nogales border, I see it in a new light.  It definitely shows the controversy that surrounds the border."

Professor Quiróz raises the importance of having an installation like Border Dynamics in such a high volume area on theborder_dynamics_1 University of Arizona's campus.

"The significance is that we are a border state which at one point was Mexico," said Quiróz.  "What is interesting symbollically is the current wall in Nogales is made from steel landing pads that were supposedly used in both the Vietnam and Iraq War I."

The installation remains at the University of Arizona, with hopes that it continues discussions about the border and the issues that surround it.

"I think that it is a good reminder of barriers that exist," said Quiróz.  "Not only geographically, but culturally as well."

Check out photos by Jay Rochlin of Border Dynamics on the Nogales border, and more stories on Serrano and Morackis's work on the border at Tucson Weekly's article Artistic Warning.

Go back to the main article here.

Written by Bryan Ponton You are reading Part Three: Beyond Borders articles

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