Oakland

The Divided States of America

Evening Forum

Despite recent attention to wall building as a security measure, the building of barriers along the U.S. – Mexico border is not a new phenomenon. The U.S. Secure Fence Act of 2006 funded the single-largest domestic building project in the twenty-first century and financed approximately 700 miles of fortification, dividing the U.S. from Mexico at a cost of up to $16 million per mile. Today, approximately one third of the 1,954-mile-long border between the U.S. and Mexico has been walled off.

Join us for an incredible panel of academics, authors and artists for an evening of provocations, presentations and discussion that demonstrates how art and design are important vehicles for activism in the face of the increasing militarization of our southern border.

+ Ronald Rael / UC Berkeley and author, Borderwall as Architecture: A Manifesto for the U.S. Mexico Boundary
+ Richard Misrach / photographer and co-author, Border Cantos
+ Guillermo Galindo / experimental composer/artist and co-author, Border Cantos
+ Michael Dear / UC Berkeley and author, Why Walls Won’t Work
+
Ana Teresa Fernandez / artist

Refund Policy

Sponsorship payments: Will not be refunded, as sponsorship benefits take effect immediately and are on-going through the date of the event.

Auxiliary Services

If, in order to participate in a SPUR event, you need auxiliary aids or services for a disability (e.g., qualified interpreter, qualified reader, written materials, taped texts) please submit your request five business days before the event to [email protected] or 415-781-8726 x132. SPUR will work with you in identifying effective auxiliary aids or services that it can provide. If you need to cancel your request, please notify SPUR at least two business days before the event.