In 2015, the art collective Postcommodity installed 26 ten-foot balloons—giant replicas of the commercial “scare-eye” bird deterrents used by farmers and gardeners—at the US/Mexico border. Extending away from the border fence for a mile in each direction, the project both reclaimed the open-eye symbol’s native roots and aimed to serve as a “suture,” ceremonially knitting together the communities of Douglas, Arizona and Agua Prieta, Sonora. During this artist talk, Postcommodity members Raven Chacon, Cristóbal Martínez, and Kade L. Twist discuss Repellent Fence, their practice of community-engaged land art, and themes in “2043: No Es Un Sueño,” the newest contribution to the Walker’s ongoing Artist Op-Ed series. Melding prose and poetry, the trio’s essay offers a powerful reflection on native self-determination, ethnic and national identity, and the year when whites become a minority in the Americas.
This artist talk, moderated by Walker managing editor Paul Schmelzer, was presented in connection with the opening of Postcommodity at Bockley Gallery on Friday, March 10, 6 pm.
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