This project was jointly developed by the Wodiczko, Adam Whiton, and Sung Ho Kim. It took place in the Mexican town of Tijuana. Tijuana is a city near the United States border that serves as a jumping off point for those trying to get away from the poverty stricken south. It acts as a place of transition for crossing over the border. The project itself consisted of the confessions and life stories of a number of women who work in the “maquiladoras” or assembly factories. These were recorded in real time through a video camera and projected on the Omnimax Theater at the Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT). A camera and microphone headset was developed to allow the women to move and always be in focus. The women told stories of work related abuse, sexual abuse, family disintegration, alcoholism, and domestic violence. These projections were seen by 1500 viewers over two nights.
The choice of subjects, according to Wodiczko, was based on “90% of people working in Tijuana are women…often doing unspeakable things…the purpose was to use progressive technology to give voice and visibility to the women who work in the “maquiladora” industry in Tijuana” The choice of a location was also purposeful. As Wodiczko said” This building is an very important, symbolic structure in Tijuana...it’s almost a symbol of the city, a landmark”
To the critics and art world, this work was new and interesting. Ben Dalton, an art critic, said the first thing he felt “was the sense of performance and intimacy that his technical set-up creates… (the video camera) is cumbersome, and unnatural, and yet it frees them up to move as they wish through the crowd and space”
For me, this project represents a progressive way to present the daily trials and tribulations of women in Tijuana. The artists’ connection of a local landmark to these problems brought attention to the issues. Many of the subjects and stories communicated through these projects were taboo and unspeakable. The project acted as a type of public therapy for these women, giving them a place to tell what had happened to them. My hope is that the project helped to start a dialogue about these problems and how to fix them. I couldn’t find any record of this but the hope is still there.
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