river of migration statement

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THE RIVER OF MIGRATION by Anne Katrine Senstad
A permanent Light and Land Installation
Curated by Kirsha Kaechele/Life is Art Foundation

Location: Life As Art Foundation West,
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

The River of Migration, consists of 72 solar power run lights, that are placed on a mountainside in a long consecutive line,
creating a light contour of the landscape. The representational land and light piece creates a spatially drawn line and a
geographical mapping of the Californian landscape, as well as a gesture / quiet comment to the politics of migration.

The intention of light, represents a river of light and a human river of the nameless. The lights are placed as a gesture to those
who failed to cross the US-Mexican boarder, or have been murdered in the process. This permanent installation brings attention to
the current US boarder politics, the erection of the boarder wall towards Mexico, the fact that California was once
Mexican/native American, the violent deaths of people attempting to cross the boarder, as in the murder of the 72 individuals
from various Central and South American countries who resisted being used as drug traffickers in 2010.

As the solar panel lights are lit from dusk till dawn, when most people cross the boarders illegally, that physical practicality will
serve to establish the phenomena of non-governmentally controlled migration. The notion of a long line of lights down a hillside,
talks about the nature of migration, how bodies of peoples crossing long distances, will naturally walk in a sequential manner
according to age, physical health, group importance and their task within the group.

The phenomena of artificial lights in a natural untouched landscape, talks about the notion of light and darkness, nature and the
artificial, the environment and the untouched landscape providing a scenario for interaction and intention. The use of solar power
lights emphasizes environmental and sustainable concerns by using light to create light.

Life is Art Foundation West is a non for profit Art foundation based in New Orleans, LA and California. The inaugural opening of the Land Art Foundation was Oct 15th 2010.