Not only Mexicans but also people from various countries who wish to go to the U.S. gather in Tijuana, the city located on the border of the U.S.and Mexico. There is an area called Colonia Libertad (meaning liberty / freedom in Spanish) by the border in Tijuana, in which many residents are not allowed to go to the U.S. Chim↑Pom had met a family there who became supporters of the projects. They live in a self-built house in a slum, incorporating the border wall as a part of their own rooms and garden. In July 2016, Chim↑Pom built a tree house
entitled U.S.A. Visitor Center, as a metaphor to the “unreachable U.S.A.” on a large tree in the family’s garden, which stands out in the neighborhood. One of the purpose of the origin of tree houses is said to have been to watch enemies. Now, the tree houses have become an antitheses to materialism and a symbol of a free and natural life style. Facing the observation tower on the U.S. side in front, the tree house, a place for local children to play in and a visitor center, looks down on the border wall and questions, “What is America? What is the border?”
MUJIN-TO
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