[Nettime-bold] TRYING TO HACK THE SUBLIMINAL BORDERS

["ricardo dominguez" <rdom@thing.net>]

From: barcelondon
Posted: 2001-08-30 18:09
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 And here is (finally!) the report. Oh, please, feel free to post any
feedback.
http://metamute.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=35&forum=5&;

TRYING TO HACK THE SUBLIMINAL BORDERS
( http://borderhack.org )
by Quim Gil

"Borderhack" is an appealing word that generally draw diffuse but strong
concepts in networking minds. "Tijuana" is another non-marketed appealing
symbol, refering to the essence of the city existing thanks and despite a
border, a frontier. And then we have the Wall, the visualization of the
border itself, a combination of rotten metals and impersonal concrete
columns, surveilled by border patrols, stadium lights, TV cameras and all
the sensors your senses can't sense.

Then comes reality, beyond symbolisms.

TIJUANA - BERLIN
Local and foreign activists use to compare the US-Mexican border to the
former Capitalist-Communist Iron Courtain, and specifically the Tijuana and
the Berlin walls. The idea is suggestive and the calendar suggests more than
a coincidence: after the Berlin Wall fall another wall was buildt in
Tijuana. That's true.

After few days wandering around, seeing and listening to people, the
symbolic comparisson loses its strenght though. I didn't live the golden
years of the Iron Courtain but I would say that the pretended to be 1st-3rd
World Iron Courtain is more shameful for the citizens of the supposedly
victorious and wealthy Capitalist world. Shameful because of the lack of
simetry. A simetry that the Iron Courtain had at the very end:

- In Berlin the wall was a border for both sides. In Tijuana the border only
exists from south to north. Nobody stops anybody crossing from north to
south.

- In Berlin the wall separated a former common society that remembered its
common past. In Tijuana-San Diego there has been never such commonality.
Most Mexicans and Gringos -even sharing the same side of the border- have
different languages, colours of skin, backgrounds, behaviours.

- In Berlin both sides thought they were right, they were winning. In
Tijuana-San Diego just one side thinks that is winning, just one side thinks
that is losing.

- In Berlin the wall was buildt to avoid political contamination and
military risks, they said. And this was mainly its real function. In
Tijuana-San Diego the wall was buildt to avoid narcotraffic and illegal
penetrations to the US territory, they said. But everyone agrees that this
is not its actual function. Narco mafias have deep roots, interests and
allies everywhere. And the border is more receptive to southern illegal
workers when there is a demand of low cost work in the northern side. (Which
is the real function of the militarized border is a question too complex to
my comprehension. Any enlightment will be welcomed).

- In Berlin the wall was ideologic and separated everything, in Tijuana-San
Diego the wall is pragmatic and only stops non desired human beings trying
to cross from south to north. The economy of the whole area is common,
Mexican workers (with or without papers) are as essential in both sides of
the border as US investments (visible or covered).

Here relies the most shameful essence of the Tijuana-San Diego border. Money
and products cross the border constantly, as well as citizens of the "first
world", including the Mexican elite (a Mexican gets or not a passport and a
visa depending of economical factors as declared properties, salaries and
savings and even the most anonymous person can find the way to cross the
border through the main gate putting $2000 in the hands of the appropriate
person).

So in fact the border exists ONLY for those people without money trying to
reach the United States, the Land of Freedom. People that come from regions
with resources that were once sustainable, resources currently exploited
mainly by US based corporations. People that come from regions driven by
politics and politicians designed and educated mainly in the US. But of
course this is just a geopolitical coincidence...


WHICH BORDERS MIGHT HACK THE BORDERHACK

Put in this touchable context beyond symbolism, the Borderhack acquires the
condition of gateway between borders with multiple shades. As a pure event
of art, activism and technology located in a very cool place next to a real
border it could be heavily critisized: middle class young citizens camping
for a long weekend next to a beach and discussing about issues that are
perceived as non essential by those people who are suffering the border on a
daily basis. A highly symbolic event that loses its untangible wonder when
is happening, showing mistakes of an amateur organization, lacking the
presence of more participants, being unable to offer qualitative teamworking
and practical deliveries (as a project manager would say).

But the thing is that even when managing projects is part of my job, the
feeling that the Borderhack2.0 ("Delete the Border") has been a successful
and useful experience is still sticked in my skin (, brain and heart).

- To delete borders you need to detect and know them first. After three days
sharing a space, the assistants knew better the borders that must be
detected and known apart from the physical wall that divides Tijuana and San
Diego. Languages, prejudices, cultural behaviours, backgrounds and
routines... may act as iron courtains specially when as an actor you don't
realize them.

- The fact of seeing the border materialized in front of you has an impact
that no article, no picture and no video can transmit. All we learnt ways to
deal with borders just by seeing how people approaching the wall from both
sides interacted with it and with their separated neighbours. Wise and well
spoken men trying to come back to the US where they have been working
ilegally for years, sending money to their families in Mexico. Desperated
nomades scaping from elsewhere and looking to the impossible destiny in
silence for hours. Local visitors taking pictures of themselves with the
wall behind as in front of a monument. Shaved and perfumed US tourists
having a look to the dusty and smelly Thirld World through the fence (while
being seen from the other side as evolved monkeys closed in a luxury zoo).
Divided families chatting and having a transnational picnic under a gap of
the wall on Sunday morning. Pochos (Mexicans born in the US) crossing the
border well dressed and driving good cars to attend the toros bullfighting
on Sunday afternoon. And so on.

- I guess it's also a useful experience for many US citizens to attend an
event like the Borderhack, crossing the border not to consume (real estate,
cheap food, alcohol, hemp) but to produce (ideas, projects, strategies), not
to give example but to learn, not to realize that many Mexicans doesn't
speak English but to realize that the Mexicans in Baja California are
generally more bilingual than the Gringos in the US California. Actually
some of the best comments heard about the event itself were made by English
speaking citizens coming from San Diego, without any militance in activism,
that knew about the Borderhack by chance and just came to have a look.

- I guess it's been useful for these Mexican people living nearby, most of
them with a personal story deeply related to the border, as well as the
emigrants wandering around, waiting for the appropriate moment to attempt
once more to cross the border and reach the rich world. Useful because they
saw that some young middle class people from both sides and able to cross
the border were consciouss of those not so young and not so middle class
that are not able to cross the border at all. Some of the emigrants left the
beach and the waiting next to the wall and attended passively the
performances and talks, filling their curiousity with words and images they
were not familiar with. Some got free food during the weekend (another type
of "food for thought", as said in the empty world of consultancy). All this
makes a small change, but a change at least.

- And I guess the Mexican organizers and attendants got a different
perspective of their situation in this complex map after the event. There
are lots of internal borders to deal with when you are a young Tijuanense
with interests that go beyond work, leisure and family. Tijuana is a quite
destructured city (supposed to grow two acres a day) where institutional
powers and traditional values rule in combination with self organized
suburbs and mafia gangs. For them being the hosts of a countercultural event
makes a huge difference. They have to deal with the very conservative
institutions, press and police that look at them as suspicious foreigners
(no matter which part of the border are the powers from). They have to
explain and sometimes convince parents, relatives and friends that an event
like this is not devilish nor a waste of time. They have to deal with all
the stereotypes that work against them since they are not assembling
appareils in maquiladoras, they are not serving tequilas in happy hours,
they are not selling fake indigenous pottery, no tacos and tortas with chile
offered here.

All these factors are generating a new vector (still weak, tender but
promissing) pointing from south to north and from the bottom to the top. If
the organizers, the friendly organizations and the active participants from
both sides are perseverant enough they will hopefully find a hole in this
border of vectors pointing north to south and top to bottom that "protects"
our (pretended to be) wealthy and safe world.

[ This Message was edited by: qgil on 2001-08-31 07:26 ]


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