The Border Project (fronterizo)
About
Fronterizo is an ongoing immersive VR experience across a virtual frontera that explores the bi-cultural, socio-political essence of the U.S.-Mexico border. With the help of the artist’s home community, locals share an array of stories in Spanglish about their symbiotic identity and the unique experiences that come along with living in the frontera. Drawing on elements from the landscape, ambient sounds from the area, and reconstructed objects and architecture using photogrammetry, Laredo, U.S., and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, come alive in this experimental journey.
Fronterizo is an official selection of the Lumen Prize Shortlist 2022 Immersive Environment Award and shown at SXSW 2023.
VR Experience | Border Project (Fronterizo)
Experience the Virtual Frontera (web verison not built for mobile)
Process:
Personal note
During the making of this project I had the privilege to invite a group of Mexican-Americans who live and/or maintain a strong relationship between both sides of the U.S. Mex border. As someone who grew up in the border and understands the cultural contradictions and complexities often encountered. It was important for me to create an innovative and immersive storytelling project that captures an essence of what it means to be Fronterizo.
These are real stories in what I call a Virtual Frontera. A parallel-universe-like ethnography, where human made objects and architecture tell the stories of a place where humans no longer roam.
I hope with this project I can share POV and stories of a region and people who are too often misunderstood.
Spanglish Quotes Translations
“It should be a birthright for someone, being from the border. You should know what the river looks like, you should be able to skip rocks at it, to see people fish on it. It’s a place to enjoy too.”
“I am my own thing, we are our own thing.”
“One of my cousins came out as gay, and they were like, ‘no le digas a tu abuelita porque se va a asustar’ (don’t tell your grandmother because she will get scared) . So, my grandparents always thought that my cousin and her roomate --you know-- were good friends that lived together.”
“Stay low, stay low, there is a balazera (shooting) outside our house.”