Pia Camil's art installation "Saca Tus Trapos Al Sol" ("Air Out Your Dirty Laundry") proudly displays Mexican culture in the heart of Rockefeller Center.
PHOTO: Rhonda Massad
According to the Rockefeller Center, more than 700 pieces of second-hand clothing were garnered in an exchange with residents of Mexico City, now displayed on an expansive set of clotheslines. These articles of clothing currently replace the 193 flags representing the members of the United Nations along Rockefeller's Center Plaza. In addition, Camil's installation is a member of the 60 works presented by the traveling Mexico-City-based gallery MASA in an exhibition entitled "Intervención/Intersección."
PHOTO: Rhonda Massad
Curator of the MASA collection Su Wu recounts the inspiration of Camil's work to "making something monumental out of the very intimate."
The residents of Mexico City who participated in the garment exchange shared their attachments to the pieces of clothing through audio recordings. Many recalled memories of relationships or childhood, and for some, it reignited notions of activism, artistry, or seeking asylum in Mexico as a refugee.
The emphasis on storytelling and intimacy was intent on calling attention to community and collective participation "based on personal relations and stories, rather than strict borders and nationalistic values," as Camil's artist's statement announces.
MASA's "Intervención/Intersección" is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm in the Rink Level Gallery until June 24; the exhibition on Center Plaza ends June 10 .
