1 00:00:07,420 --> 00:00:12,180 [Tania Bruguera: "Immigrant Movement International"] 2 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,460 [Queens, New York] 3 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,180 [ALIZA NISENBAUM] It was really fun to paint here. 4 00:00:33,180 --> 00:00:34,000 [Aliza Nisenbaum, Artist] 5 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,340 I was painting always when there was either a Zumba class 6 00:00:37,340 --> 00:00:39,840 or a children's orchestra class. 7 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,620 There would always be at least four or five little kids around my palette, 8 00:00:45,629 --> 00:00:47,069 putting their fingers into the paint 9 00:00:47,069 --> 00:00:50,089 and asking me how to make particular colors 10 00:00:50,089 --> 00:00:53,809 and seeing the way I put the brush down on the canvas. 11 00:00:55,540 --> 00:00:57,700 I'm a Mexican, 12 00:00:57,710 --> 00:01:00,620 and I've become a little bit more of a part of the art world down there, 13 00:01:00,620 --> 00:01:03,359 and so this has been like a real home for me. 14 00:01:06,180 --> 00:01:08,760 So, yeah, Vero and Marisa are here. 15 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:10,400 --[NISENBAUM, IN SPANISH] How are you Vero? 16 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:12,240 --It's been a long time since I saw you last! 17 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,180 --[VERO, IN SPANISH] Yes, yes. I've missed you too. 18 00:01:14,180 --> 00:01:15,180 --[NISENBAUM, IN SPANISH] Likewise. 19 00:01:15,180 --> 00:01:17,920 --Hi Marisa! How are you love? 20 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:18,560 --[MARISA, IN SPANISH] Good. 21 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:20,220 --[NISENBAUM, IN SPANISH] Are you both ready for the party? 22 00:01:20,230 --> 00:01:22,200 --[VERO, IN SPANISH] Yes, yes. Very, very ready. 23 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:23,520 [NISENBAUM] I painted Vero twice. 24 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:24,940 She was my first model 25 00:01:24,940 --> 00:01:29,440 and she is the most inspiring person that I met in my class. 26 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:33,740 [VERO, IN SPANISH] I feel very very proud because 27 00:01:33,740 --> 00:01:36,320 imagine, I'm in a painting 28 00:01:36,320 --> 00:01:38,220 me, my husband, and my daughter! 29 00:01:39,420 --> 00:01:41,700 In my mind I thought that in one hour 30 00:01:41,700 --> 00:01:44,560 a painting was completed; but, no, 31 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,540 it's a lot of hours of work. 32 00:01:47,620 --> 00:01:49,580 I met her here because I took her class 33 00:01:49,580 --> 00:01:52,260 of learning English through art. 34 00:01:54,260 --> 00:01:58,400 [NISENBAUM] We were talking a lot about ideas of women--ideas of feminism. 35 00:01:58,410 --> 00:02:01,030 But, they really didn't use the word 'feminist' 36 00:02:01,030 --> 00:02:02,640 or it was a little bit shunned or something. 37 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,930 So, we started opening up ideas of what that would mean for different people. 38 00:02:06,930 --> 00:02:09,450 And so, the idea of sitting face to face, 39 00:02:09,450 --> 00:02:13,390 it's a very intimate experience having a model and painting them. 40 00:02:13,390 --> 00:02:16,940 And so, that always makes people open up. 41 00:02:16,940 --> 00:02:21,819 You're painting every single part of their flesh and their skin, 42 00:02:21,819 --> 00:02:23,600 and the flow and folds of their clothes, 43 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:28,960 and so, that immediately is a kind of intimate experience. 44 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,500 [VERO, IN SPANISH] In Mexico, I studied an Aztec dance. 45 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,960 My family and I are accustomed to wearing attire 46 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,660 typical of our country. 47 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:48,300 And the truth is that time I wore a blouse with flowers, 48 00:02:48,300 --> 00:02:50,960 very pretty, with strong colors, 49 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,140 and now I always see it, I have the painting in my home 50 00:02:53,140 --> 00:02:54,960 in my living room. 51 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,480 Before anything, I give thanks to Aliza. 52 00:03:01,940 --> 00:03:05,040 [NISENBAUM] A lot of these women are people that hide, in some ways, 53 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:06,540 from public view-- 54 00:03:06,540 --> 00:03:08,250 from being seen-- 55 00:03:08,250 --> 00:03:10,810 because a lot of them are undocumented immigrants. 56 00:03:10,810 --> 00:03:15,599 So I was trying to give a sense of agency to the women that were here 57 00:03:15,599 --> 00:03:17,780 in terms of finding their voice, in terms art, 58 00:03:17,780 --> 00:03:21,520 and in terms of, also, basic English skills. 59 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,580 There's such a rich history of social painting in Mexico. 60 00:03:28,580 --> 00:03:31,380 You know, going back all the way to the muralists, and... 61 00:03:31,380 --> 00:03:33,720 I think so much more art now has become about 62 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,650 this social space--social practice. 63 00:03:36,650 --> 00:03:38,709 [Tania Bruguera; Artist, IMI Initiator] 64 00:03:38,709 --> 00:03:42,930 It's very important for everyone to know about the poetics of this space. 65 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:49,680 [BRUGUERA] The people in Immigrant Movement, they are using art to empower themselves. 66 00:03:50,380 --> 00:03:53,220 So, they have been part of contemporary art as well, 67 00:03:53,230 --> 00:03:56,390 and they understand now, much better, 68 00:03:56,390 --> 00:03:57,959 how contemporary art works, 69 00:03:57,959 --> 00:04:00,859 and everything they can get out of it. 70 00:04:01,660 --> 00:04:06,460 People can also grow and understand how to work from their fear-- 71 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:12,960 with the limitations they have put on themselves once they enter this country. 72 00:04:14,540 --> 00:04:16,980 [ANA RAMIEREZ] Because we're in a city 73 00:04:16,980 --> 00:04:21,800 that sometimes is somewhat difficult. 74 00:04:23,780 --> 00:04:27,040 Once a while we all go through difficult moments 75 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:28,740 in our lives, no? 76 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,540 For me, being in a ceremony gives me 77 00:04:36,540 --> 00:04:39,280 the strength to go forward day to day. 78 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:41,860 So being here, for me, fills me with strength-- 79 00:04:41,860 --> 00:04:43,520 strength, happiness, 80 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:45,760 lots of energy, 81 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,320 and it gives me pleasure to work together with my family 82 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:51,420 of the Tletlpapalotzin group. 83 00:05:03,980 --> 00:05:08,640 [IMI Community Celebration Day] 84 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,360 [BRUGUERA] Immigrant Movement is not a finished product yet. 85 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:17,790 All the time that we spend in Immigrant Movement, 86 00:05:17,790 --> 00:05:21,660 until now, is to prepare the conditions for the project to happen. 87 00:05:22,420 --> 00:05:25,840 If you ask me who I am, I think I am an idealist 88 00:05:25,850 --> 00:05:28,710 because I am dying to start a political party, 89 00:05:28,710 --> 00:05:32,250 because this is what I really wanted to do-- 90 00:05:32,250 --> 00:05:34,840 to create a political power for immigrants, by immigrants. 91 00:05:34,840 --> 00:05:37,979 And I know, in the United States, the risk of doing that 92 00:05:37,979 --> 00:05:40,490 is that it's going to be seen maybe as 93 00:05:40,490 --> 00:05:45,300 a gesture more than an actual thing that happens. 94 00:05:45,980 --> 00:05:47,080 But we'll see.