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Reparative Mapping: Mending Connections Beyond Borders

Reparative Mapping delves into the concepts of borders, territories, displacement, and representations. The installation comprises mended fragments from my 2014 work, Arqueologia Ludica II: 100 días, which paid homage to the students who fled Venezuela in early 2014 due to the precarious socio-political situation. At that time, little did I know that I would become part of the Venezuelan diaspora myself.

The duckling-silhouetted pieces were originally cut from a blue family quilt and have now been embroidered and repaired along the borders. In Reparative Mapping, these pieces were collectively mended by the group of participating artists in A.llegadxs. They are displayed on the wall in conjunction with an upside-down map of the Americas, aligned with the countries of origin of each artist. This illustrated map is a direct allusion to America Inverted (1943) by Uruguayan artist Torres Garcia.

 

A playful video featuring an animated map guides us to question and engage in a dialogic representation of the relationships between migratory movements and borders.
For me, the act of repairing and mending the 2014 installation with the community has been a healing process of connections and the cultivation of meaningful relationships. Initially serving as a coping mechanism for migratory grief, my exploration has now evolved to envision new ways of visualizing territories, displacements, and borders.

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