By: ART PRESS Editorial

令政治和高牆都阻隔不了的原因，仍舊是人：兩位建築師把美墨邊境圍欄，變成了一個粉紅色蹺蹺板的樂園 Two architects turned the U.S.-Mexico border fence into a playground with pink seesaws.

「種族主義」、「移民」、「排外主義」、「川普」等關鍵字，以及隨之而起的許多人道危機，在國際上備受高度關注的議題。在藝術界，甚至有許多藝術家、藝術專業人士為此以各種方式表達抗議。而美墨兩國邊境的沈重、頗受人們議論的圍牆，卻被這兩位常駐於加利福尼亞的建築師 Virginia San Fratello 和 Ronald Rael 給改變了。

身為建築師的兩人，他們把建築師人為著想的技術和思想，應用在這件具有人道爭議的事情上：Virginia San Fratello 和 Ronald Rael 在圍欄的板條之間，裝上了三個粉紅色的蹺蹺板，就這樣，全世界人們都看到了，兩國邊境的人們、孩子們在粉紅色蹺蹺板的兩端玩耍，彷彿高牆和政治都阻隔不了。

在 Instagram 裡，加州大學伯克利分校的建築學教授 Ronald Rael 說，他和聖何塞州立大學的教授 San Fratello 在2009年首次提出了這件事的想法。

View this post on Instagram

One of the most incredible experiences of my and @vasfsf’s career bringing to life the conceptual drawings of the Teetertotter Wall from 2009 in an event filled with joy, excitement, and togetherness at the borderwall. The wall became a literal fulcrum for U.S. – Mexico relations and children and adults were connected in meaningful ways on both sides with the recognition that the actions that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side. Amazing thanks to everyone who made this event possible like Omar Rios @colectivo.chopeke for collaborating with us, the guys at Taller Herrería in #CiudadJuarez for their fine craftsmanship, @anateresafernandez for encouragement and support, and everyone who showed up on both sides including the beautiful families from Colonia Anapra, and @kerrydoyle2010, @kateggreen , @ersela_kripa , @stphn_mllr , @wakawaffles, @chris_inabox and many others (you know who you are). #raelsanfratello #borderwallasarchitecture #teetertotterwall #seesaw #subibaja

A post shared by RAEL (@rrael) on

藝術家時常在創作上表達其思想，就像在 2017年，藝術家 JR在墨西哥創作了一張大型攝影和跨境野餐桌。而也就像在2017年，藝術家ERRE 和 Margarita Garcia Asperas 在墨西哥邊境圍欄一側舉辦了一場表達其思想、別具意義的晚宴。

相關閱讀：繼「我們不要骯髒的錢」之後，124名藝術界人士呼籲惠特尼博物館董事會副主席坎德斯下台 After ‘We Don’t Want Dirty Money’, 124 scholars, artists, and critics called for the Whitney Museum to remove Kanders, the vice-chairman of its board. 

相關閱讀：倒數兩個月的惠特尼雙年展，竟掀起一波藝術家展前退展潮… Two months before opening, already 10% artists withdrew from the Whitney Biennial.

相關閱讀：博物館募款有沒有理想機制？坎德斯宣布辭職，日前宣佈退展藝術家們的決定是…？ About founding, is there any better way to donate Artists reverse their decision to remove artwork from the Whitney Biennial following Kanders’s resignation.