Julia Mazal

Muralismo sin Muro

Two communities, two sister cities, El Paso, USA and Juarez, Mexico. Two societies that are constantly moving across the border – to visit family, shop for groceries, for school or work.They share the same language, culture, food, and traditions.  LA FRONTERA is arbitrary and essentially meaningless. A powerful movement of cultural activism overrides it, and still, it remains an unavoidable reality that impacts many lives. 

The murals on both sides of the border can be traced back to the beginnings of Mexican Muralism, a political art movement that arose in Mexico City after the revolution in 1920. The muralist movement was essentially an education campaign to unite the country after the war. The Muralists brought art into the public space to be accessible to all. The murals were bold, political, and celebrated identity. The movement eventually crossed the border to the United States, inspiring the Chicanx art movement of the Southwestern United States, as Mexican Americans also sought the streets for the creative expression of their struggle against oppression, exploitative work conditions, and hard-line immigration policies. 

El Paso, Texas, has long been known as a place where many Mexicans have settled in the United States, particularly the neighborhood ‘El Segundo Barrio.’ Visiting El Segundo Barrio in 2019, I was struck by how much it felt like I had already crossed the border, even though I could see US border patrol a few meters away. Los mercados, la panadería con conchas, el olor a tacos, ni una palabra en inglés – it was all there, including the colorful murals that lined and gave life to the streets. Crossing into Juarez, Mexico the next day, I saw that the murals continued, and I became fascinated by this migrating Mexican art movement kept alive by its diaspora. 

The case study of the muralism at the border served as inspiration for the conception of the community mural I made with some of the Latinx students at Bard College Berlin during a Latinx culture celebration recently where I asked my friends to represent what Latinx identity means to them and paint the images, words, and symbols that immediately came to mind. My project extends to the process of creating something with my community – a community that shares the diasporic feeling of a common language, a longing for sunny and warm climates, flavorful food, and familial spaces. 

Some of the imagery on the mural we created includes: Mexican loteria cards; alebrijes (animal-like fantasy creatures); Dia de Muertos skull; outline of Latin America containing Zapatista quote; Virgin of Guadalupe; woman dancing in traditional dress; Guacamaya Bandera ( a parrot); the flags of Latin America

Judy Baca, a Chicana muralist, says, ‘Paint the streets.’ This is the way we can tell our story.