32 Cans
2013 -
32 prints (5 x 7 in) + Exchange system
The California Supermarket in Calexico, CA is located across the street from the US/Mexico border. We visit and photograph 32 canned food items that are commonly used to prepare meals for migrants seeking refuge/assistance in shelters along the border. The photographs are printed to exhibit and sell in gallery — each print sells for the exact price of the item in the picture (e.g. the print of the campbell’s soup can above is sold for $1.29, which is the price of the actual can in the store). The funds from the sale of each print go to purchasing the actual can after the show. All cans purchased through this process are then given as donation to the Hotel del Migrante – a shelter for recently deported migrants in Mexicali, B.C.
During the last installation of this project at Grand Central Art Center (Santa Ana, CA), a total of 206 prints were sold, leading to the purchase of 206 cans. The rematerialized cans were then driven across the border to the Hotel del Migrante and given as a donation.