AMBOS was founded in 2016 by the artist Tanya Aguiñiga as a platform to engage with the reality of the US-Mexico border through artistic research and collective collaborations between artists, activists, and immigrants. The project aims to raise awareness of how anti-immigrant rhetoric and inhumane policies affect people’s lives. AMBOS often prioritizes working directly at the border, creating projects that embody a spirit of solidarity and a sense of transnationalism. This practice is drawn from Aguiñiga’s long history at the border, which she crossed every day from San Diego to go to school and later as a member of the iconic collective Border Art Workshop / Taller de Arte Fronterizo, which focused on doing work on and about the US-Mexico border in the 1980s and 1990s.
Border Quipu / Quipu Fronterizo (2016–18), AMBOS’s inaugural project, documented the experiences of thousands of daily commuters at the border by asking them to tie strings into a knot and record their thoughts on the backs of postcards. Following the ancient tradition of quipus, which were recording devices for the preservation of cultural memory and social ties, historically used by a number of South American cultures in the Andean region, these knots were later tied together and displayed as a symbol of social interconnectedness and solidarity. AMBOS uses craft mediums, including textiles and ceramics, to raise awareness of border politics while engaging in a practice rooted in cocreation.
This talk on Art Made Between Opposite Sides (AMBOS) is led by curatorial associate Nika Chilewich and is part of Made in LA. 2023.
Ticketing:
This free program is not ticketed.
Museum Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday, 11am-6pm
Admisson is free.