Major New Exhibition Seeks to Challenge Visitors with a Unique Exploration of the History and Impact of the US-Mexico Border Infrastructure Growth
On November 6, the National Building Museum opens a major new exhibition, The Wall/El Muro: What is a Border Wall? Always in the news, but rarely well understood, the US-Mexico border wall looms large on the landscape, and in the American consciousness. This multi-media exhibition will provide a timely examination of the role of design, architecture, planning and engineering in today’s border issues and challenges, as well as the border wall’s many impacts. Featuring a broad range of photographs, artifacts, video and other immersive elements, The Wall/El Muro takes visitors on an unprecedented journey, creating a broader context for understanding the 21st-century application of an ancient theme: building walls in the name of national security. The exhibition is presented in both English and Spanish.
“Borders are invented, imaginary places,” says exhibition curator Sarah A. Leavitt, Ph.D. “They change over time, and they are policed differently over time. What is happening on our border matters and it was important to me to be able to start telling this story. This is what museums should be for–leading this type of conversation.”
Visitors will listen to a specially commissioned soundscape of the border near the wall in Otay Mesa, California, hearing insects, wind, and the ever-present security drones. They will listen to voices of local teenagers who have crossed the border, and see an actual full-size section of border fence that once stood between Calexico, California and Mexicali, Baja California. And, they will be able to touch and sit on a teeter totter which connected children in the US and Mexico, and was awarded 2020’s Design of the Year by London’s Design Museum. Also included are models of old and new border infrastructure; migrant belongings left behind in the Sonoran desert; and a pop-art poster that once welcomed visitors into the US. Infographics will highlight significant statistics that represent the growing wall infrastructure, as well as its cost and impact.
Credit: Sarah Leavitt/National Building Museum
“While border policy may dominate the news, we want to share a meaningful context for all visitors to better understand our southern border,” said Aileen Fuchs, the Museum’s President and Executive Director. “We hope that The Wall/El Muro helps advance our mission to inspire curiosity and understanding of the built environment and its impact on our lives and communities. This timely story-telling experience joins the current Gun Violence Memorial Project as well as recent exhibitions Murals that Matter and Evicted in offering our visitors opportunities to engage and reflect on critical issues facing our nation through our unique lens.” The Museum will continue to educate and challenge its members and the public with the launch of its upcoming Climate ABC’s program in mid-November, which will address key climate change issues and how the building industry and design community can contribute to substantive solutions.
The year-long The Wall/El Muro installation will serve as an anchor for a suite of related and interactive programming. Topics will include the history of the physical border, its impact on the environment and local communities, and the ethics around designing structures of exclusion. The Museum begins these discussions with its first program in November/December, which will be an historical overview of the U.S./Mexico border, its impact on the architecture and planning in the region, and the organic responses to its presence.
The Wall/El Muro: What is a Border Wall? is supported by The Avangrid Foundation, Mr. George S. Corey and Ms. Cynthia M. Krus, The Field Fund, and the Venable Foundation.
Sustainability Statement — 95% of the exhibition was built with reused materials.
Credit: Sarah Leavitt/National Building Museum
MUSEUM HOURS – Friday – Monday, 11 am – 4 pm. The exhibition is located on the main floor.
PRESS PREVIEW
A press preview will be held on Thursday, November 4 at 11 am, and will include a guided tour from exhibition curator Sarah A. Leavitt, Ph.D. RSVP to Karen Baratz, karen@baratzpr.com
IMAGES
Additional Images are available upon request.
MEDIA CONTACT
Karen Baratz, karen@baratzpr.com, 240.497.1811
ABOUT THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM
The National Building Museum inspires curiosity about the world we design and build. We believe that understanding the impact of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, construction, planning, and design is important for everyone. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and special events, we welcome visitors of all ages to experience stories about the built world and its power to shape our lives, our communities, and our futures. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448, info@nbm.org, or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.