Artists and citizens capture end of the border through collective project

Artists and citizens from both sides of the border are contributing to a collective contemporary art project in La Línea exploring memories, experiences and imaginings linked to Gibraltar and the frontier as discussions continue over the border’s future.

The initiative, titled Arriba con ella, is being held at the Galería Manuel Alés until June 26 and brings together professional artists, amateur creatives, neighbourhood associations, students, writers, crocheters and local residents in an evolving exhibition centred on the symbolism of the border.

At the heart of the project is a large schematic drawing of the Rock by artist Manuel Antonio Domínguez, which visitors are invited to fill with photographs, messages, wishes and personal stories connected to Gibraltar and the surrounding region.

The exhibition’s curator, Juan Carlos Bracho, and the director of the Galería Manuel Alés, Macarena Alés, have invited members of the public to contribute memories and experiences linked to the border and “the everyday dynamics of a region shaped by boundaries, exchanges and movements”.

Organisers described the final outcome as “a sort of collective map: a fictional, non-scale map of superimposed personal stories, imaginings and shared memories”.

“This map is not intended to be a faithful representation of the territory, but to question and reimagine it,” they said.

Among the contributors is Gibraltarian artist Alan Perez, who together with Barbara Shunyi created an artwork using the Japanese gyotaku printing technique.

“We did a complete footage of the border on ‘gyotaku’ technique one month ago with arts students from the Campo and Gibraltarian secondary art school pupils, too,” Mr Perez told the Chronicle.

Gyotaku is a traditional Japanese printing method developed by fishermen in the 19th century, in which ink is applied directly onto an object before paper or fabric is pressed onto it to capture its texture and outline.

For this project, the technique was used to create prints of the border fence itself, turning its physical form into an artwork carrying symbolic significance.

The exhibition also includes participatory projects involving crocheters and bobbin-lace makers from La Línea, who have wrapped stones from Gibraltar in the colours of the Gibraltar, La Línea, United Kingdom and European Union flags.

The stones are being placed across the gallery floor and will continue to accumulate as the exhibition progresses.

Neighbourhood associations are also designing fabric banners, while other activities include afternoon tea gatherings reflecting the area’s cultural diversity and weaving workshops.

A round-table discussion featuring people affected by the border closure and other residents sharing personal memories is scheduled for May 29.

La Línea’s Culture Councillor, Raquel Ñeco, welcomed the level of public participation and said the exhibition would continue to evolve over the coming weeks.

She said living close to Gibraltar gave La Línea residents a distinct identity that would be reflected in the exhibition.

The exhibition is open mornings and afternoons at the Galería Manuel Alés in Paseo Fariñas, La Línea, with free entry until June 26.