A new book in the art project, Reading the Migration Library, invites Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) of the Fraser Valley to enjoy reading. The artist, Carlos Colín, writes,
The idea behind this project is to make a contribution to the daily amusement of visiting farmer workers… Leisure is a universal right, and laziness is a necessary good in order to lead a full life that includes art, science, and the satisfaction of human and spiritual needs. All the migrant farmer workers deserve more days off and the right to be lazy and have fun.”
Tierra y Libertad / Little México includes a bilingual flutter book pamphlet that is designed to be included in the boxes of free books that the artist helped to set up for Mexican TFWs near Greater Vancouver. These mini-bibliotecas were initiated in conjunction with Colín’s exhibition, Little México, that took place at The Reach Gallery Museum in 2019. With the folded pamphlet, Tierra y Libertad also features a conversation between the artist and RML host artist, Lois Klassen. They discuss the rationale behind artworks that offer freely exchanged cultural works and the cultural work that Colín is offering for the organization, Dignidad Migrante Society.
This project would not have been possible without the Government
of BC funding through the BC Arts Council.
