Mateo Vargas

2020. Video. 4 minutes 17 seconds. Video described by the artist.

A series of projections:

First: A small video projection on a stone wall next to a sliding glass door shows news footage of migrants heading north on “La Bestia” train towards the United States-Mexico border. Sunlight shines on some plants outside beyond the glass door. The projection is silent.
Second: A small video projection cast onto a kid’s bike in an empty room at night shows grainy VHS footage of small children showing off their new shoes and then taking turns kissing the camera and addressing a greeting to their abuela.
Third: A clothesline with an assortment of clothes hang outside at night, in the dark. A video projection illuminates the clothes as little children play in the snow in grainy VHS footage. The projection is silent.
Fourth: A large wall takes up the frame of the video. It is night. A large projection of a still image appears on the wall in the bottom right corner of the frame. The image is of two small children at the United States-Mexico border wall. Their backs are turned to the viewer and they peer through the rails of the fence. A plane flies overhead. |