Though the majority of American citizens oppose the US-Mexico border wall, it is still being built. Because of this, artists have collaborated to transform the loathsome icon of division into a beacon of hope. In creating a mile-long mural on the Mexico side of the US-owned border wall, the artists will set a Guinness Book World Record, as well as inspire millions of people.
The idea to paint a mural on the border fence, which celebrates love and acceptance, was Enrique Chiu‘s idea. The Mexican-born, American-educated artist was tired of seeing division and so, organized the bi-national project. The Mural of Brotherhood was launched this December and exists to spread a message of hope to people who cross the border, and to observers worldwide.
In total, more than 26,000 activists have volunteered to paint uplifting messages on the border wall. When completed, the entire mural is expected to stretch more than one mile in Tijuana (the same town French street artist JR installed his billboard), and shorter spans in Tecate, Mexicali, Ciudad Juarez, Naco, and Reynosa.
Reportedly, the goal is to set the Guinness World Record for the longest peace-themed mural ever created, as well as to produce an artistic riposte to the Trump administration’s anti-immigration politics.
Credit: Enrique Chiu
The mural is a very important project to Chiu, who crossed the border with his mother when he was eight-years-old. After arriving in America, he lived in Los Angeles, California, for a year without legal status. About ten years later, the artist moved to Tijuana and joined the city’s flourishing art scene.
Chiu says the project is dedicated “to all those people who are looking for a better life. Who take enormous risks. Or those have been deported and are separated from their families.”
Following are 10+ photos of the peace-themed mural:
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Credit: Enrique Chiu
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Credit: Enrique Chiu
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