La Frontera: A new exhibit while in line at the San Ysidro Port of Entry

Mely Barragan and artist Daniel Ruanova in front of Mely’s picture “The power to kill – The Kitchen Knife” at Mercado Higaldo in Tijuana.
Mely Barragan, one of the foremost artists in Tijuana, is known for her works in sculptures, installations, collages, and paintings.

Editor’s Note: You may remember my interview with Stefan Falke, noted German photographer who has focused on the U.S.-Mexico Border for many of his themes. Now, Falke has a new exhibit located — appropriately — along the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The exhibit is called La Frontera and I asked Falke to say a few words about it.

I have chosen an appropriate location for my newest photography exhibition titled LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border — the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

I display eighteen large-scale images from my ongoing project. You can find the photographs along the left hand fence that leads to border control on the Mexican side in Tijuana.

In this photography project, I focus on artists who live and work along the U.S.-Mexico border, documenting their individual stories and their arts’ positive influence on their communities. To date I have photographed over 200 artists on both sides and along the entire length of the border, from Tijuana to Matamoros, from Brownsville to San Diego.

LA FRONTERA gives a face to the vibrant culture and artistic exchange in this little-known border region, where the media tends to disproportionally portray the area through the lens of violent crime.

The outdoor exhibition is made possible and is hosted by Festival Tijuana Interzona, which celebrates it’s 10th anniversary this year.

70,000 northbound passengers in 30,000 cars cross the San Ysidro border every day, which makes it the busiest border in the world.

And now — Falke shares with us a few of the photographs you’ll see:

Mely Barragan and artist Daniel Ruanova in front of Mely’s picture "The power to kill - The Kitchen Knife" at Mercado Higaldo in Tijuana. Mely Barragan, one of the foremost artists in Tijuana, is known for her works in sculptures, installations, collages, and paintings.
(Courtesy of Festival Tijuana Interzona)
(Courtesy of Festival Tijuana Interzona)
(Courtesy of Festival Tijuana Interzona)
(Courtesy of Festival Tijuana Interzona)
(Courtesy of Festival Tijuana Interzona)
(Courtesy of Festival Tijuana Interzona)
(Courtesy of Festival Tijuana Interzona)
(Courtesy of Festival Tijuana Interzona)
(Courtesy of Festival Tijuana Interzona)