What Remains explores the stories of borders through the belongings of those who cross them

On Thursday, May 2, 2024, at 6:30 pm, the Art Gallery of Guelph will host the opening reception for What Remains, an exhibition focusing on the border between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and the humanitarian crisis occurring there. All are welcome; admission is free.

Developed by El Paso-based artists and educators Monica Lozano, Iris Morales, Mabel Weber, and Adriana Alvarez, and curated by Sidd Joag, the exhibition documents migrant narratives and experiences through the belongings abandoned at border crossings, expressed through photography, illustration, sound, video, and installation. Using this interdisciplinary approach, the project offers insight into the complex experiences of those who cross as well as citizens of the borderlands who bear witness to the brutality experienced by others.

“While you will encounter images of the wall, often the most potent symbol of borders, this exhibition deliberately shifts its focus to the deeply personal effects of the militarized barriers separating Mexico and the United States,” says AGG Director Shauna McCabe. “What Remains points to how borders not only delineate territories, but are also thresholds that profoundly impact access to resources and opportunities, inviting us to consider the multifaceted ways they affect individual lives.”

The exhibition is complemented by a community education space with resources for visitors, including children and families, as well as opportunities to participate in La Trenza, a braided textile that evolves as visitors add to it at each exhibition venue. While What Remains offers no solutions to the dire situation playing out currently on the Rio Grande, it points to possible ways of supporting migrant communities and shaping public perception and policy to support immigrants, displaced peoples, refugees, and asylum-seekers around the world.

The artists and curator will speak about the project at the Art Gallery of Guelph on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at 5:30 pm, addressing the creative development of What Remains and how individual experiences and stories are incorporated within the exhibition. This discussion is followed by an opening reception at 6:30 pm. For more information about the exhibition and related activities visit artgalleryofguelph.ca or festival.artseverywhere.ca.

On view through August 30, 2024, What Remains is organized and presented by the Art Gallery of Guelph and Musagetes in partnership with the ArtsEverywhere Festival. The Art Gallery of Guelph is grateful for the support of the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.

About the Art Gallery of Guelph
The Art Gallery of Guelph (AGG) is one of Canada’s premier public art spaces, engaging audiences with innovative artists and ideas from around the world. Through a rigorous and collaborative artistic program that positions visual culture in an ever-changing cultural landscape, the gallery supports social exchange and shapes public discourse. Located in one of Canada’s leading innovation-rich and socially engaged urban environments, the gallery offers compelling artistic encounters and contributes to a thriving national artistic climate through global connections that foster and proliferate creativity and imagination. For more information, please visit artgalleryofguelph.ca.

Media Contact:
Nicole Neufeld
Community Engagement Coordinator
Art Gallery of Guelph
358 Gordon Street, Guelph, ON N1G 1Y1
519-837-0010 ext. 2
nneufeld@artgalleryofguelph.ca

Image details: Monica Lozano, The Promised Land (La Tierra Prometida), 2018. Courtesy of the artist; Monica Lozano, La Trenza, 2023, digital photograph. Courtesy of the artist