Tianguis
The Tianguis Project seeks to honor, reframe and amplify the lives and stories of migrant vendors at the tianguis. Tianguis comes from the nahuatl taianquiz(tli) or “mercado”, and its legacy is a mix of modern practices and traditional mercantile culture of prehispanic mesoamerica including the influence of bazaars’ of the middle east via Spain. Partnering with seven vendors in the area, artist Raul Pizarro will use the culturally familiar retablo and seven portraits to share and lift up their stories, and engage them and others in thinking about the ideas and/or narratives we all hold about vendors, migrants, and borders. The artist will record and integrate the vendor’s stories into the art pieces, the installation and final presentation. Recognizing the organic spaces of community these vendors create, the artist will also engage other vendors, patrons and guests of the tianguis to share their own relationships with space and one another to elevate the connection and nurturing stories that enrich these communities.
