The Binational Mural Project
Border Metamorphosis
1998-2002
The Binational Mural Project began as a community-scale reaction to the fourteen foot tall metal structure that had been built on the west side of the border crossing between Calexico (California) and Mexicali (Baja California) as part of Operation Gatekeeper, a federal program designed to fortify the border fences along the U.S./Mexico border. The local citizenry began a series of discussions asking what course to take in light of the recent (December 1997) instatement of an unsightly wall built from military surplus landing mats. These talks culminated with the formation of the City of Calexico's Art and Culture Commission, a panel comprising prominent members of the community who in turn invited San Francisco artist Armando Rascón to respond to their concerns regarding a proposed public art project for the border fence site. Rascón arrived at the first engagement meeting in Calexico with numerous wrist 'friendship bracelets' that he handed out to all of the leaders seated at the table. He conceived a public artwork involving community input and educational outreach as integral elements in the overall design of a five-year project, citing a serial image that all volunteers could deploy with ease. He subsequently wrote and presented a Master Plan for the City of Calexico, naming the project Border Metamorphosis as part of his approach towards advancing buy-in by the public. Soon after, still in 1998, Rascón and Steve Jenkins (Director, the Bob Dylan Center) co-wrote a first grant application and were awarded startup monies by the Fideicomiso para la Cultura EU/MX (The US-Mexico Fund for Culture). Since its launch in November 1998, this unique cultural enterprise hosted over two thousand volunteers that attended monthly paint workshops and advanced the notion of new public art at the intersection with civic design for the borderland region.
El Proyecto Mural Binacional surgió de una reación comunitaria que tuvo la ciudadanía cuando se construyó una vaya de catorce pies de altura entre Calexico (California) y Mexicali (Baja California) como parte de la Operación Guardián, un programa federal creado para fortificar la frontera entre los Estados Unidos y México (diciembre 1997). Hubo una série de discursos en los cuales se discutieron las tantas posibilidades de cambiar el rostro borboso de la cerca metálica que se había llevado a cabo al oeste de la aduana en Calexico. Se formó la Comisión de las Artes en la ciudad de Calexico, un círculo cultural con protagonistas de la comunidad, el cual invitó la visión del artista Armando Rascón, planteando una intervención artística para la cerca fronteriza. Rascón creó una propuesta de arte público, incluyendo elementos comunitarios y aspectos educacionales como parte de la totalidad de un proyecto de largo plazo, de cinco años. Desde su inicio en noviembre del año 1998, el Proyecto Mural Binacional ha contado con el apoyo de miles de voluntarios que han acudido sus talleres mensuales de pintura, aportando nuevos diálogos para el enriquecimiento del arte público y diseño industrial de la zona fronteriza.
Volunteers
Thousands of community volunteers participated in the creation of this radiant public art project. Border Metamorphosis: The Binational Mural Project was a two-mile mural that was painted directly upon the US/Mexico borderfence between the cities of Calexico, California and Mexicali, Baja California.
Invited by the Calexico Arts Commission to respond to the large metal structure that had been constructed as part of Operation Gatekeeper in early 1998, California artist Armando Rascón led this public art project in collaboration with the Calexico Arts Commission and over two thousand community project volunteers that joined him in monthly paint workshops at the border. From his first proposal Rascón advanced the concept of reversing the role of the public from passive consumers of culture to active participants in its making.
Rascón's initial project proposal named the project Border Metamorphosis and included a visual primary serial icon based on a fragment of the profile of an Olmec deity, dated 1,400 years b.c., that embodies the ancient Olmec belief that the world is perceived through sight, touch, and sound. Seen from a distance, the work becomes symbolic of the colorful woven bracelet that is ubiquitous throughout the Americas.
Metamorfosis de la Frontera: Un Proyecto Mural Binacional es un mural de dos millas de largo, el cual fue pintado directamente sobre la valla que separa las ciudades de Calexico, California y Mexicali, Baja California.
Comisionado por la comisión cultural de las artes de la ciudad de Calexico en el año 1998, el artista californiano Armando Rascón ha concebido un proyecto público con la colaboración de más de dos mil voluntarios comunitarios los cuales acudieron a talleres mensuales con el artista.
El principio unificador del proyecto se refleja en un fragmento Olmeca cuyo diseño representa la imagen del dios a la comunicación de hace 3,400 años. Desde la distancia, el diseño del mural sugiere un enorme patron de brazaletes tejidos iguales a los que lleva mucha gente en América.
Site
The physical site of this project is the space where Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico and Calexico, California, United States meet to form an international border separating these two Nations.
Video tour of the project, circa 2000.
OLMEC
The serial image repeated across the landscape is based on an iconic inscription on a jade axe blade dating to 1,200 B.C. --a timeless message signaling the Olmec belief that the world is perceived through sight, touch and sound.
A Community-involved public art project
