BORDERWALL AS ARCHITECTURE
Dec 18, 2013
Apr 10, 2011
Border Wall Alternatives
Ronald Rael, assistant professor of architecture, discusses his designs for alternatives uses for the wall between the United States and Mexico.
4:10 min. video produced by Roxanne Makasdjian, UC Berkeley Media Relations
Full Story: http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/03/29/border-wall/
Dec 4, 2010
HBO: The Fence
Aug 22, 2010
The Iron(ic) Footbridge
"Technically speaking it's not a bridge, it's a grade control structure," said Sally Spener, spokeswoman for the International Boundary and Water Commission, which maintains the integrity of the 1,200-mile river border between the U.S. and Mexico. The structures under the spans help prevent the river — and therefore the international border — from shifting.
Mar 26, 2010
The 800 Mile Wall
The 800 Mile Wall highlights the construction of the new border walls along the U.S.-Mexico border as well as the effect on migrants trying to cross into the U.S. This powerful 90-minute film is an unflinching look at a failed U.S. border strategy that many believe has caused the death of thousands of migrants and violates fundamental human rights.
Since border walls have been built, well over 5,000 migrant bodies have been recovered in U.S. deserts, mountains and canals. Some unofficial reports put the death toll as high as 10,000 men, women and children. As a direct result of U.S. border policy, migrants are forced to cross treacherous deserts and mountains in search of low skill and low paying jobs in the United States. The New York Times writes, "Current border strategy is serving as a funnel through deadly terrain." The 800 Mile Wall documents, in great detail, the ineffective and deadly results of a failed border policy and offers some thoughts and on how the current human rights crisis may be resolved. Directed by John Carlos Frey and Produced by Jack Lorenz. Running Time: 90 min.
Mar 19, 2010
Ferry To The Other Side / Corner Of Latin America
Margaret Randall reads Ferry To The Other Side / Corner Of Latin America from her book Stones Witness accompanied by Glenn Weyant on Nogales Border Wall, played with cello bow and implements of mass percussion.
The collaboration was improvised live on 3/14/10 at the bifurcation scar of Nogales Arizona and Nogales Sonora.
Video by Barbara Byers.
For more about Margaret's work visit:
http://www.margaretrandall.org
For more about Glenn's work visit:
http://www.sonicanta.com/
Mar 17, 2010
Virtual U.S.-Mexico Border Fence At A Virtual End
Mar 13, 2010
Illegal Border Crossing Park
The Mexican town of El Alberto lies 800 miles south of the US border in the state of Hidalgo. It’s pretty much like any other town of 3,000 people, except in El Alberto they offer tourists the chance to participate in a simulated illegal border crossing. It all happens at a standard recreational park with swimming pools, river trips, zip lines, and the other typical fare. We took a few cameras and headed for the EcoAlberto Park to spend some late-nights running through underground tunnels on the heels of our personal “Coyote” while being chased by border patrol. While we were there, we crashed a quinceƱera party and saw El Alberto from the perspective of the locals. We find that when Mexicans cross the border to pursue the “American Dream,” their real aim is to bring a slice of the pie back home to Mexico. And so they do, provided they can run fast enough.
Jan 30, 2010
Border Fence = Drug Deaths
On January 9, 2009, American Border Patrol issued a press release entitled "Does the Border Fence Work?" In it, ABP announced a press conference to be held at the National Press Club on January 15 to, among other things, "show a strong correlation between the construction of the border fence and drug-related deaths in Mexico between 2005 and 2009."
Jan 29, 2010
WPA 2.0 Border Wall as Infrastructure Presentations
Presentation delivered at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. as a finalist in the WPA 2.0 competition sponsored by UCLA Citylab, wpa2.aud.ucla.edu
"There exists far more potential in a construction project that is estimated to cost up to $1,325.75 per linear foot." Recognizing the high cost, limited effectiveness and unintended natural consequences of the new, multi-layered US/Mexico border wall (disruption of animal habitats, diversion of water runoff that has caused new flooding in nearby towns), this proposal names alternatives that might better combat the energy crisis, risk of death from dehydration, disruption of animal habitat, loss of vegetation, negative labor relations, missing creative vision and lack of cross-cultural appreciation likely in the government sponsored version.
Project Credits:
Rael San Fratello Architects: Ronald Rael,Virginia San Fratello, Emily Licht, Plamena Milusheva, Brian Grieb, Colleen Paz, Molly Reichert
www.rael-sanfratello.com
Video presentation for exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. Finalist in the WPA 2.0 competition sponsored by UCLA Citylab, wpa2.aud.ucla.edu
"There exists far more potential in a construction project that is estimated to cost up to $1,325.75 per linear foot." Recognizing the high cost, limited effectiveness and unintended natural consequences of the new, multi-layered US/Mexico border wall (disruption of animal habitats, diversion of water runoff that has caused new flooding in nearby towns), this proposal names alternatives that might better combat the energy crisis, risk of death from dehydration, disruption of animal habitat, loss of vegetation, negative labor relations, missing creative vision and lack of cross-cultural appreciation likely in the government sponsored version.
Project Credits:
Rael San Fratello Architects: Ronald Rael,Virginia San Fratello, Emily Licht, Plamena Milusheva, Brian Grieb, Colleen Paz, Molly Reichert
Soundtrack: Glenn Weyant/The Anta Project: www.sonicanta.com
Compiled from covert performances utilizing implements of mass percussion and a cello bow to play the steel wall, barbed wire fences and assorted ephemera that separates the United States from Mexico.
www.rael-sanfratello.com