For Tijuana-based artist Marcos Ramirez, also known as ERRE, the 1821 border between the United States and Mexico was simply an element in the history lessons he received as a child. In American schools, it is virtually unknown, except to assorted scholars and to students in history seminars. The only border between the United States and Mexico that gets a mention in U.S. history texts is the one established in 1848, as a result of the Mexican American War and The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo -- the border as it now exists.
The earlier border between these two nations is the subject of a project and an exhibition by Ramirez and photographer David Taylor, entitled DeLIMITations: A Survey of the 1821 United States-Mexico Border. The show is currently at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) and a version of the show appeared earlier this year at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno. It will move on to the museum at the Autonomous University of Baja California in Tijuana and additional locales may be added.
Monument 02 is in place. A long day of work. Time for some food and sleep. Stories recounting the interesting people we met later. | Photo: Courtesy of Marcos Ram rez ERRE and David Taylor.
I like to think we have restored the old border, Ramirez says, with a smile that suggests you should take him at least halfway seriously. And why shouldn't we? In a symbolic way, this pair of artists have done just that. They took to the road in 2014, in a van emblazoned with the words Binational Commission of Historical and Geographical Borders on its body and DeLIMITations on its door. You could have surmised, as some did, that they were an official agency of some kind. And, that they had an artistically conceived mission to strategically install steel obelisks, 47 of them, at sites that would demarcate that binational boundary.
From the Mexican vantage point, explains Ramirez, it is a scar, a wound that won't heal.
It was billed in that year as an offsite project of the Site Santa Fe biennial, Unsettled Landscapes. The artists' marking of the ghost border began on the Oregon coast -- outside Brookings. The duo planted the first of the 6-foot-6-inch obelisks there, in Crissey Field State Park, without any official sanctioning, and then headed east. In fact, none of them were officially sanctioned, though if it was private property, they were sure to ask the owner for permission.
The Binational Commission of Historical and Geographical Borders van. | Photo: Courtesy of Marcos Ram rez ERRE and David Taylor.
When they visited Medicine Bow, Wyoming, Taylor recalls, about 20 people showed up for the placing of the obelisk, which is about 10 percent of the town's population.
They joked about whose place was in Mexico and whose wasn't, Taylor says.
At MCASD show, viewers can take a copy with them of the 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty -- it went into effect in 1821 -- to which the artists have affixed this line in both Spanish and English: When Forever' Lasted 27 Years. Given how forgotten that 1821 border is, most of us will likely be startled to discover where it was situated. Lands that were then part of Mexico stretched from the Oregon coast through parts of Colorado and Wyoming and then down into Texas. A dramatic way of envisioning the map of the U.S. and Mexico as it existed in 1821 and then in 1848 is to see large panels the artists have installed as part of the exhibition. The color coded map highlights just how vast were the spoils of that war: 525,000 square miles.
William Lizars, Map depicting the border between Mexico and the United States over time, 1828. | Image: Courtesy of Marcos Ram rez ERRE and David Taylor.
Photographs of all of the obelisks are on the walls and at the artists' DeLIMITations blog, where there are even more pictures of their expedition. The images offer up the spectrum of landscapes they visited. The show also includes a film about their expedition -- by Jose Inerzia, who traveled with the artists. There is a prototype of the obelisk as well, along with text panels about the treaty and about a rather important soldier to American history who doubted the wisdom of this land grab: Ulysses S. Grant. (Another enduring opponent, who escapes mention by the artists, was Henry David Thoreau. His opposition to the Mexican American War was an inspiration for his profound essay on civil disobedience.)
If you think you might have seen obelisks of the same Beaux-Arts style and scale, you have probably been at certain locales along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. The markers of Ramirez's and Taylor's making formally echo those placed along the border beginning in the 1850s, courtesy of the International Boundary Commission. In today's environment of fractious debate about immigration and high security at the international border, the placing of these markers along a border without any fencing can appear quaint. And while their design seems to fit their era, the larger issue is the temporal nature of borders, taking the long view of history.
Marcos Ram rez ERRE working on monuments in Idaho. | Photo: Courtesy of Marcos Ram rez ERRE and David Taylor.
When you start looking into history you don't find the idea of precise borders until the 19th century. Before that there were transition zones between areas of rule and nations, says Taylor.
The two artists met 10 plus years ago, at an exhibition in El Paso, Texas and given their earlier work, we might feel justified in thinking they would each see a kindred spirit in the other. Their deep interest in the intersection of art and cultural commentary on the border has been a strong bond.
Ramirez has gained much acclaim for artwork which combines trenchant social commentary and sculptural presence. The monumental Toy an Horse (1997), a two-headed riff on th
Most recent headlines
03/02/2025
If you're one of the many Swifties living in Asia, you're in for a treat...
03/02/2025
Whether you're discovering your new favorite song or queuing up the latest episode of the hottest podcasts, Spotify is always innovating to deliver the best...
03/02/2025
SBS boosts commitment to Indigenous leadership and innovation with Executive tea...
03/02/2025
The L3Harris IPLCS is a fiber-optic tether connecting a torpedo to the origin vessel, providing data in real time. Credit: L3Harris...
03/02/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. Video Services Forum (VSF) today announced that the VidTrans 2025 conference and exposition will take place Feb. 25-27 at the Marina del Rey Marr...
03/02/2025
WASHINGTON Last week Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced the Stop Sports Blackouts Act to make cable and satellite companies refund c...
03/02/2025
Amazon Prime Video has added more companies to its Preferred Vendor Services Program....
03/02/2025
BURBANK, Calif. The CW Network, NBC Sports, and Grand Slam Track, a new global track competition, have announced a media rights deal that makes The CW Network t...
03/02/2025
The company said it deserves fair compensation for its innovation, with the long-term success of the streaming industry for consumers and creators dependent on ...
03/02/2025
Adding LED wall to green screen studio expands creative options
CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration, production and content digitisation speci...
03/02/2025
CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, a systems integration and content digitisation specialist, has been appointed as a certified QuickLink Gold Partner. This strat...
03/02/2025
2d Animated Short Concerned a Project for Schools
Brie Clayton February 3, 2025
0 Comments
2d animated short concerning a project for schools
Februa...
03/02/2025
Academy Award-Winning Production Company Caviar Signs Director Dawit N.M.
Brie Clayton February 3, 2025
0 Comments
Academy Award-winning independent p...
03/02/2025
Blackmagic Design Announces Customizable Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K Body
Brie Clayton February 3, 2025
0 Comments
New body only model of Blackmagic URSA...
03/02/2025
Berklee Alumni Recognized at the 2025 Grammy Awards Winners took home trophies in 14 categories, including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Songwr...
03/02/2025
For media production companies, the drive for increased efficiency without extensive incremental costs or added complexity is always near the top of the priorit...
03/02/2025
Any lingering resistance to virtual production involving next-generation elements like LED walls, in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) and mixed reality (MR) is rap...
03/02/2025
The physical function of audio mixing remains relatively unchanged today despite technology's onward march. There are now many ways to mix studio and outsid...
03/02/2025
Ciaran Doran, chair of ISE 2025's AV Broadcast Summit, is looking forward to checking out traditional TV broadcast vendors' tailored products and servic...
03/02/2025
The report included an ad tier estimate for Netflix, Disney and Amazon
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 3, 2025
The report included an ad tier est...
03/02/2025
Lightbridge, creators of the renowned Precision Reflectors for motion picture lighting, celebrates 8 years of innovation with a 40% discount on all current CRLS...
03/02/2025
High dynamic range (HDR) has transformed the sports fan experience, enabling broadcasters and OTT providers to deliver live events with remarkably lifelike colo...
03/02/2025
MainConcept, the leading provider of video and audio codecs, announces the latest additions to its MainConcept EVA (Easy Video API) technology, set to greatly e...
03/02/2025
UKTV has acquired the UK premier of Side Hustlers, the US business reality series produced by Reese Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine, part of...
03/02/2025
Super Bowl LIX: Flown Sound System Adapts Older Stadium for Game, Hip-Hop-Heavy ...
03/02/2025
The NAMM Show Continues To Move Beyond the Music Dale Pro Audio had a front-row seat to what has become the major U.S. pro-audio expo By SVG Staff
Monday, Fe...
03/02/2025
As it heads to its estimable 30th anniversary, the HPA Tech Retreat continues to add one-of-a-kind programming to its schedule. The HPA Tech Retreat committee h...
03/02/2025
Fox Corporation and FOX Sports Announce Super Bowl LIX Community Initiatives Company Partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana to Invest in Great Fu...
03/02/2025
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced Apple Music is celebrating Kendrick Lamar's Road to Halftime with a spotlight on the era-defining artist who has...
02/02/2025
2026 Edition of Sundance Film Festival to Take Place in Park City and Salt Lake ...
02/02/2025
Back to All News
Toma Ikuta Stars in Demon City' with Music by Tomoyasu Ho...
01/02/2025
Cow Job Listing: Calling All Creative Editors! Love Japan? Japan-Inspired Video ...
01/02/2025
DirecTV said it has significantly expanded its MySports package, which includes 40 national sports and local broadcast channels, to 122 Nielsen designated marke...
01/02/2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission member Nathan Simington announced that he has appointed Adam Cassady to serve as his chief of staff. Simingto...
01/02/2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission commissioner Anna M. Gomez has announced a new appointment to her staff as well as some staff departures....
01/02/2025
NEW YORK A new study from Nielsen finds that Black audiences spend 32 hours on apps and websites on their smartphones and tablets two hours more than the total ...
01/02/2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. The Federal Communications Commission investigation into CBS and an interview conducted by 60 Minutes with vice president Kamala Harris during ...
01/02/2025
Berklee Ensemble Orchestra to Perform the Music of Led Zeppelin Brent Havens '77 will lead a full rock band and an orchestra of Berklee students and alumn...
01/02/2025
Berklee Global and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Launch Emerging Artist Inten...
31/01/2025
Zeam Media, a provider of broadcast OTT technology as well as the hyperlocal streaming platform Zeam, announced today that it is again collaborating with John S...
31/01/2025
Sonnet Announces Secure Mounting Bracket for All-New 2024 Apple Mac mini Compute...
31/01/2025
Kalamazoo College Uses Blackmagic Design for Campuswide Productions
Brie Clayton January 31, 2025
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design cameras and switchers u...
31/01/2025
Tiger's 1st Pro AV Sale of 2025 Features 700 Plus Lots of High Quality Gear
Brie Clayton January 31, 2025
0 Comments
Excess inventory from full-se...
31/01/2025
Camera Corps Streamlines Live HDR Sports Production with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton January 31, 2025
0 Comments
High dynamic range (HDR) has transformed th...
31/01/2025
CHARLOTTE, N.C., and BRISTOL, Conn. The Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN have announced that the sports programmer has exercised its option to extend its TV r...
31/01/2025
The URSA Cine 12K LF Body excludes shoulder mounts, handles, some lens mounts, battery plates, power supply, lenses and the high capacity 8TB media module
By J...
31/01/2025
EDEN aims to provide continuous power when operating in remote locations, and can be recharged using solar power
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: January 31, 2...
31/01/2025
MIAMI Telemundo has laid out plans for extensive Spanish-language coverage of the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 that includes a large slate of programming across the net...
31/01/2025
ATLANTA TNT Sports is launching a new NASCAR Driver Cam experience exclusively on Warner Bros. Discovery's Max streaming service that will offer motorsports...
For Tijuana-based artist Marcos Ramirez, also known as ERRE, the 1821 border between the United States and Mexico was simply an element in the history lessons he received as a child. In American schools, it is virtually unknown, except to assorted scholars and to students in history seminars. The only border between the United States and Mexico that gets a mention in U.S. history texts is the one established in 1848, as a result of the Mexican American War and The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo -- the border as it now exists.
