Tania Bruguera: "Immigrant Movement International" | Art21 "Extended Play"

[Tania Bruguera: "Immigrant Movement International"]

[Queens, New York]

[ALIZA NISENBAUM] It was really fun to paint here.

[Aliza Nisenbaum, Artist]

I was painting always when there was either
a Zumba class

or a children's orchestra class.

There would always be at least four or five
little kids around my palette,

putting their fingers into the paint

and asking me how to make particular colors

and seeing the way I put the brush down on
the canvas.

I'm a Mexican,

and I've become a little bit more of a part
of the art world down there,

and so this has been like a real home for
me.

So, yeah, Vero and Marisa are here.

--[NISENBAUM, IN SPANISH] How are you Vero?

--It's been a long time since I saw you last!

--[VERO, IN SPANISH] Yes, yes. I've missed
you too.

--[NISENBAUM, IN SPANISH] Likewise.

--Hi Marisa! How are you love?

--[MARISA, IN SPANISH] Good.

--[NISENBAUM, IN SPANISH] Are you both ready
for the party?

--[VERO, IN SPANISH] Yes, yes. Very, very
ready.

[NISENBAUM] I painted Vero twice.

She was my first model

and she is the most inspiring person that
I met in my class.

[VERO, IN SPANISH] I feel very very proud
because

imagine, I'm in a painting

me, my husband, and my daughter!

In my mind I thought that in one hour

a painting was completed; but, no,

it's a lot of hours of work.

I met her here because I took her class

of learning English through art.

[NISENBAUM] We were talking a lot about ideas
of women--ideas of feminism.

But, they really didn't use the word 'feminist'

or it was a little bit shunned or something.

So, we started opening up ideas of what that
would mean for different people.

And so, the idea of sitting face to face,

it's a very intimate experience having a model
and painting them.

And so, that always makes people open up.

You're painting every single part of their
flesh and their skin,

and the flow and folds of their clothes,

and so, that immediately is a kind of intimate
experience.

[VERO, IN SPANISH] In Mexico, I studied an
Aztec dance.

My family and I are accustomed to wearing
attire

typical of our country.

And the truth is that time I wore a blouse
with flowers,

very pretty, with strong colors,

and now I always see it, I have the painting
in my home

in my living room.

Before anything, I give thanks to Aliza.

[NISENBAUM] A lot of these women are people
that hide, in some ways,

from public view--

from being seen--

because a lot of them are undocumented immigrants.

So I was trying to give a sense of agency
to the women that were here

in terms of finding their voice, in terms
art,

and in terms of, also, basic English skills.

There's such a rich history of social painting
in Mexico.

You know, going back all the way to the muralists,
and...

I think so much more art now has become about

this social space--social practice.

[Tania Bruguera; Artist, IMI Initiator]

It's very important for everyone to know about
the poetics of this space.

[BRUGUERA] The people in Immigrant Movement,
they are using art to empower themselves.

So, they have been part of contemporary art
as well,

and they understand now, much better,

how contemporary art works,

and everything they can get out of it.

People can also grow and understand how to
work from their fear--

with the limitations they have put on themselves
once they enter this country.

[ANA RAMIEREZ] Because we're in a city

that sometimes is somewhat difficult.

Once a while we all go through difficult moments

in our lives, no?

For me, being in a ceremony gives me

the strength to go forward day to day.

So being here, for me, fills me with strength--

strength, happiness,

lots of energy,

and it gives me pleasure to work together
with my family

of the Tletlpapalotzin group.

[IMI Community Celebration Day]

[BRUGUERA] Immigrant Movement is not a finished
product yet.

All the time that we spend in Immigrant Movement,

until now, is to prepare the conditions for
the project to happen.

If you ask me who I am, I think I am an idealist

because I am dying to start a political party,

because this is what I really wanted to do--

to create a political power for immigrants,
by immigrants.

And I know, in the United States, the risk
of doing that

is that it's going to be seen maybe as

a gesture more than an actual thing that happens.

But we'll see.