ESTUDIOS DE TIERRAS MÓVILES

Mexico and USA

2024 -

Mobile Earth Studies is a formal investigation of wind and sand movements in the Samalayuca and White Sands deserts, on both sides of the Mexican-American border.

Plants were collected on both sides of the border, from which pigments were extracted and used to dye natural fabrics. The finished textiles were then used in performances on the dunes, in dialogue with wind and sand.

The resulting photographs aim to reveal the permeability and untameable nature of these natural elements, in contrast to the rigidity of the political and military border.

Mobile Earth Studies is part of the series Elementary Flags, in which the conventional use of flags is subverted through their connection with natural elements — transforming their meaning from a symbol of separation into a symbol of unity with the planetary fabric.

Photos: Valentina Alfonso and Octavio Castrejón