Fusion Magazine #103 by Fusion Magazine

ARTEMIO RODRÍGUEZ: INK AND LINOLEUM STORIES HO BARON DIVISIÓN DEL NORTE

ZEKE PEÑA DEADPUNK: WHEATPASTE IN ELP CIMI ALVARADO: CRUSADER FOR CHICANO CULTURE

RICK URIBE GOSP: SUEÑOS EN DIGITAL JUANA DOE

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FUSION MAGAZINE #103 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Oscar Castañeda — oscar@thefusionmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Rafael A. Revilla — rrevilla@thefusionmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alex Durán — alexduran@thefusionmag.com ENGLISH COPY EDITOR Daniel Salas — dbsalas@thefusionmag.com SPANISH COPY EDITOR Ángel Cervantes — acervantes@thefusionmag.com SALES MANAGER Oscar Castaneda Sr — oscarc@hefusionmag.com GRAPHIC DESIGN Oscar Castañeda & Alba García CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & COLLABORATORS:

Bjorzh Znchz, Alba García, Isabel Aleman, Denise Nelson Prieto, Chantel Baul, Fernanda León, Luis Hernández, Fabyio Villegas, Josh Luna, Sarah Vasquez CONTACT info@thefusionmag.com

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THE ART SCENE IN LA FRONTERA

usion Magazine presents its annual edition highlighting the border art scene.

This issue features a handful of artists that are contributing to our local community. We recognize that the artists we are highlighting represent a tiny portion of the entire border art scene. The scene is composed of painters, writers, filmmakers, sculptors, photographers, graffiti artists, urban artists, tattoo artists, musicians and countless others. There is so much talent out there that deserves equal recognition for shaping, coloring, and interpreting our community’s past, present and future. Our community is shaped by family, friends, stories, history, language, culture, food, art, music, politics, heroes, the Rio Grande, the war on

drugs, migrants, immigrants, sunshine and darkness. Every artist has a vision and every artist has a story to tell. Issue 103 highlights stories by Artemio Rodríguez (Michoacán, Mexico artist) who recently visited El Paso and Ciudad Juarez with his traveling art exhibit Grafico Movil, Chicano artist Jesus “Cimi” Alvarado who has painted several murals in Segundo Barrio and Central El Paso, El Paso sculptor Ho Baron, art collective Los Visionaries and Division del Norte, illustrator/activist Zeke Peña, filmmaker Ramon Villa, Chihuahua photographer Gosp Villegas, painter/tattoo artist Ricardo Uribe and urban artist Deadpunk who decorates walls and containers along the streets of El Paso—all these artists are essential to our border culture and are proud to be a part of this region!

es compartimos nuestra edición anual de arte, en este número tratamos de mostrar un poco de lo que es la escena fronteriza del arte, sabemos a ciencia cierta y por nuestras publicaciones anteriores que los artistas que publicamos en este número son sólo una pequeñísima parte de nuestra escena artística, conformada por cientos de artistas con propuestas interesantes y llamativas. Esta escena la conformamos escritores, artistas, cineastas, escultores, fotógrafos, grafiteros, artistas urbanos, músicos y todo aquel que tenga algo interesante qué mostrar. Personas que vienen de fuera, como el famoso grabador michoacano Artemio Rodríguez, quien visitó recientemente El Paso, Texas, gente que tiene haciendo arte urbano

por más de 10 años, como Cimi Alvarado, colectivos artísticos como Los Visionaries y los chihuahuenses de División del Norte, artistas que por mucho tiempo llevan haciendo arte en El Paso, como el escultor Ho Baron, el ilustrador y activista Zeque Peña, y el cineasta Ramón Villa. Otros más recientes, como el fotógrafo Gosp Villegas en Chihuahua o el pintor Ricardo Uribe , ganador del concurso del reality show Skin Wars, otros con propuestas diferentes, como el artista urbano Deadpunk, decorando muros y contenedores en las calles de El Paso, todos ellos forman parte esencial de la escena artística de la frontera y están orgullosos de serlo.

Fusion Magazine is a free monthly magazine with distribution in El Paso, TX, Cd. Juarez, Las Cruces, NM, Chihuahua, Marfa, TX, Alpine, TX & Mexico D.F. The opinions, views and comments expressed in Fusion Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor and publisher. Authors and collaborators are accountable for the content of the articles. Fusion Magazine is not responsible for the information submitted in the ads by the advertisers.This publication is not suitable for people under the age of 18. Fusion Magazine does not promote or condone the use of firearms and/or violence.

INK AND LINOLEUM STORIES ARTEMIO RODRIGUEZ TXT: BJ SÁNCHEZ

ngraving art seems to be one of the simplest artistic expressions. However, the fact of it being one of the first artistic manifestations in human history makes it an obligatory reference to understand the behavior of several civilizations—including ours. It is precisely this humanistic factor that makes it so significant. Despite no longer being such a popular technique, it seems that there is a new interest for this fascinating art. Mexican engraving artist Artemio Rodriguez is a clear example of it. Artemio’s story can be told from different angles: from his beginnings as a printer apprentice, his experience as an immigrant painter in the United States or his predominant interest for literature. Any of these things can tell us more about the sensitivity and talent he has to reinvent this important technique. Apprentice to Master Juan Pascoe, his journey began in the creative arts by recreating landscapes of his hometown Tacambaro, Michoacan. Little by little, he began to develop his own style, influenced also by his stay in Los Angeles, CA, which gave him the

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opportunity of living important experiences—the culture clash and the differences that arise in the perception of life among Mexican people, on both sides of the border. From this baggage comes the intricate lines on the linoleum imaginary, landscapes that look familiar to us, as they reflect our own stories—beings that come to life through the ink that floods them and, why not, a touch of social criticism that is also the engine of our artistic expression. As the artist himself has commented: “For me, this technique will never disappear because it is an artisanal way to illustrate. It is different. It is pretty. It is authentic. It has something irreplaceable from the digital techniques.” The work of this self-taught artist can be divided into 3 different areas: works for gallery exhibitions, the realization and illustration of books, and the prêta-porter art as you could describe all his work that includes a clothing line, skateboard designs, cars and other accessories of common use. In 2003, he founded the publishing house La Mano

Press, renamed in Mexico as a gallery and a workshop as La Mano Grafica in Patzcuaro, Michoacan, directed in conjunction with the painter and graphic designer Silvia Capistran where they created a space dedicated to the dissemination of graphic works done by emerging artists. Artemio is considered one of the most important Mexican engraving artist of this generation. Reinventor of contemporary Mexican art, his work has been exhibited in the most important galleries of the Mexican Republic and abroad. Ha has also begun an interesting legacy with his workshops and commissions. Artemio Rodriguez is an artist who found, in the engraving technique, the answer to his artistic needs; he embraced the technique and reinvents it in each work. He is an artist who tells stories, his story, between ink and linoleum.

lamanopress.com instagram.com/artemiorod

E The creative arts are tough, and you do it because you want to, not to sell it.”

HO BARON

l Paso artist Ho Baron is a truly unique human being. His personality is complex and richly layered; I gathered this by only spending a couple of hours with him recently one cool October morning. Upon entering his domain I was enthralled by his work—including “The Water God” and “Head Games”—and of course his canine companions Zion and Dolly. Baron has a distinctly singular creative vision, as evident by the troves of completed works, as well as the tools and components that make up his arsenal. Rendered doll parts, roots of desert plants, silicon and vinyl spackling are some of the items in Baron’s bag of tricks. He strikes me as a young soul, with a gleam of wonder and mischief in his eyes, which defy his nearly 8 decades on the planet. His is a world filled with questioning and commentary on the issues of the day, and deeper still, his view on what it means to be a human in this crazy world. “Eccentric” is too shallow a word to capture Baron’s character, but will have to suffice. A true citizen of the world, he’s lived in and traveled to places like Belgium, Nigeria and Ethiopia and about 40 other countries.

ENGINEERING THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE TXT: DENISE NELSON PRIETO PHOTO: ALEX DURÁN

Baron has been in the Peace Corps, worked as a librarian and even manned the counter at his family’s business, Dave’s Loans ( the place downtown with the full-sized Elvis out front). He even had a show on KTEP several years ago—“The Music of Ho World” exposed the listening public to experimental and eclectic electronic music from around the globe. In fact, most of those albums occupy the shelves in his living room, along with a dusty collection of books that span a wide array of topics. He holds Masters degrees in Library Science and English, and has even published a book titled Gods For Future Religions. Indeed, he’s created “Gods”— with an overarching theme that expresses the Jungian archetypes, thus erecting new cosmogonic and mythological stories. Baron is a conduit for capturing our common experience, our dreams and our darkest desires, and assimilating them through a sensual experience that is raw and invigorating. His bronze sculptures can be seen around town. Check out “One” at the El Paso Museum of Art. It is actually a dual depiction that, through the inclusion of a penis on one side and a vagina on the other, reveals wholeness and unity. The “unified” male and female idea is a common theme in Baron’s work. In fact, in the introduction

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to his book he wrote: “I say the artist is that great mother goddess of nature and the great spirit father all in one. Today’s large quantity of proclaimed artists, both male and female, corresponds with and reflects this change. He-she is patriarchal and matriarchal since he-she embodies both human and artistic sensitivity, and his-her creativity is pure and childlike.” He further explained: “. . . all humanity is male/female/child. Therefore I visually depict the 3 as one in my figurative forms, most easily recognizable by placing male and female genitals on opposite sides of my figures.” Other Baron public art works around town include the Main Public Library and the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Unfortunately it seems Baron’s immense talent and rich imagination are enjoyed by a limited few who come through his studio or who can appreciate the message in his works. “I can’t sell these sculptures in El Paso,” he said. “But most artists have a big body of work they haven’t sold.” He’s graciously opened his home every Saturday, 12pm—5pm at 2830 Aurora Ave to the public to enjoy his creations, many of which display other common sights in his works. Exaggerated bulging eyes, extended tongues and various other organs are found on a number of the sculptures. For Baron, part of the reason for his prolific use of body parts is obvious. “We can all relate to [the sculptures] because we all have fingers, faces, tits, asses,” he revealed. One can mingle with the “Doppleganger” and the “Post Nuclear Dog” in his sculpture garden and studio. You can gaze upon his baby doll and wood assemblages he’s transitioned to. His early works in this area are a clever combination of computer mother boards and Barbie/dinosaur hybrids that immediately bring to mind the creations of Sid Phillips from Toy Story and some permanent residents of The Island of Misfit Toys.” His vast body of work includes more than 500 drawings, 300 bronze, stone and cast resin sculptures (including reproductions) and 90 assemblages. “I’ve spent about a half million dollars on sculptures over the years,” he said. “But that’s my satisfaction—making art.” He nonchalantly revealed due to his age—“I’m old” as he repeats a few times—he’s had to switch formats from sculpture to his doll/desert plant assemblages. He also admits his art, which he terms “abstract figurative,” is a tough sell in this market. “The creative arts are tough, and you do it because you want to, not to sell it.” hobaron.com

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ZEKE PEÑA

y name is Zeke. I’m a cartoonist, an illustrator and a painter working here in El Paso,Tejas. Most of my work is about living on the border and remixing historical narratives with what’s going on today. I use comics, indigenous cosmology and frontera rasquachismo to tell stories. I’m interested in subverting American history and reclaiming stories that were burned by colonialism; resistencia one cartoon at a time. The FUNKTERRA cartoons are about radical border funk of the future. They envision an alternative reality after the revolution I see

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Somos el raíz de maíz, la raza de maza growing in the cracks of the border wall. A Corn People’s Revolution where we free our minds and our nalgas will follow.” happening on the border with politics and transfronteriza culture. The queer Xicana poet/theorist Gloria Anzaldúa once called it, “The new mestizaje”—a transgression, resistance and reclaiming of space on the fringes of 2 oppressive nations. Somos el raíz de maíz, la raza de maza growing in the cracks of the border wall. A Corn People’s Revolution where we free our minds and our nalgas will follow. To check out more of Zeke’s art go to: zpvisual.com Instagram: @zpvisual

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CIMI ALVARADO

CRUSADER FOR CHICANO CULTURE TXT: DENISE NELSON PRIETO

ocal muralist Cimi Alvarado uses his art as a platform to preserve his culture’s history and legacy. Through his work he hopes to instill a sense of pride in the people of our community. “We have to keep reminding our people of the power, history and talent we have here, and how much our communities have contributed to the world,” he said. “It’s important, especially for our youth, to talk about Chicano pride. How are they going to know what to be proud of unless we tell them?” To help realize that goal Alvarado depicts many of our culture’s pivotal activists, artists and other key players in the Chicano scene. You can cruise by Lincoln Park and check out “La Pachuca” or “El Corrido de Segundo” at Armijo Park. The latter was a collaboration with Kiko Rodriguez, co-founder of local band Frontera Bugalu, who penned the song of the same name. For him, being identified

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as “Chicano” with all of its attendant political connotations is a choice, as described by one of his mentors, famous Chicano artist, Gaspar Enriquez. “Gaspar said one can be born in Mexico and live in America, but one chooses to be Chicano,” Alvarado said. For him, Chicano sentiments and messages have more permanence through art than through protests and marches. He mentioned right now those messages are in dire need due to the discrimination against Mexicans and other minority groups that have increased with the new administration. Notable Alvarado pieces include murals at the El Paso Police Department headquarters on Raynor St., and commissioned by the El Paso Museum of History. His latest commission can be seen within

the next 6 months at the Roderick Artspace Lofts. “It’s 3 stories high and will pay homage to a lot of the artists from El Paso,” he revealed. “ Abraham Chavez will be the biggest image, and there will also be some luchadores from El Paso.” Murals weren’t always Alvarado’s preferred medium. He started off as a graffiti artist in high school in the mid 90s, painting a lot of politically-charged images and messages. It was also during that time he met Enriquez. “He introduced me to airbrush, and that’s when I went into fine art,” he said. “I met other muralists through Gaspar and decided I wanted to make a living as an artist, which at the time, was impossible in El Paso.” This led to his move to Dallas,TX where he collaborated with other artist and formed a Mural Arts Program for children. Together they also

established a cultural center in the Dallas suburb of Oak Cliff. Alvarado recruited Enriquez and other renowned Chicano artists to help with the program in order to expose the kids to Chicano art. The group created about 10 murals throughout Alvarado’s tenure. In March, Alvarado and wife Kathleen Decker opened the Kalavera Culture Shop on the first floor of the Artspace Lofts, 601 N. Oregon. The establishment functions in 3 different capacities: art studio, gallery and retail business that stocks graffiti art supplies and other items.

For Alvarado, supporting his fellow local artists is key to cultivating a healthy art scene: “You see a lot of cities that have all this great art work, and I want to see that in El Paso. To support graffiti and the art of it, you have to have supplies available. How else are people going to experiment and learn?” he said. “The other part [of Kalavera] is to support local artists. We have art shows and display a lot of local art work.” cimione.com

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OSP es un fotógrafo con una atención particular a la luz y al detalle. Inspirado en las pinturas de René Magritte y la fotografía de Nicholas Scarpinato, José Luis Villegas nos cuenta historias a través de sus imágenes. En su serie “Lo que nos rodea”, representa escenas

que son diligentemente construidas y ejecutadas fantásticamente en diversas locaciones en los alrededores de la ciudad de Chihuahua y algunas otras zonas del mundo, dándole vida a sus ideas. gosp.com • @GospVillegas

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THE BOUNDLESS VISION OF

RICK URIBE TXT: DENISE NELSON PRIETO

ou’ve all heard the famous William Shakespeare line: “All the world’s a stage.”

For local artist Rick “Enks” Uribe, all the world is a canvas, ripe to receive his inspired creations. His work can be seen across the city on everything from walls, to human bodies. “I like to jump around and keep experiencing different mediums,” he said. “But right now I’m doing a lot of tattooing.” This month alone, that “jumping around” included work on a mural, a body painting project and a few tattoos. Uribe also recently ventured to San Antonio to the “Beyond the Canvas” body painting competition where he was a judge. He is the owner of and tattoo artist at Enklinations

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Tattoo & Piercing, 5640 Montana Ave. He’s also a current member of the artist collective Los Visionaries. The group is a collaboration of artists from various mediums, including dancers, painters, photographers and more.

The message within all of Uribe’s work is simple: inside of everyone, there is an artist that can emerge with just a little push. “It’s all about inspiring each other,” he said. “We all just need to help each other out.”

Uribe’s journey into the art world began when he was about 10 years old and living in Juarez.

The season 3 Skin Wars winner will display some of his pieces Thanksgiving weekend at the “Warped Perceptions” exhibit at Power at the Pass, 1931 Myrtle Ave.

“My older brother was a graffiti artist and he would take me out with him sometimes when he’d go paint,” he said. “That got me hooked on the street art movement; it really inspired me.” For a guy who admits he was “never really good at school”—the practicality and passion that is inherent in doing art was a perfect fit.

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WHEATPASTE IN EL PASO DEADPUNK TXT: RAFAEL A. REVILLA ROMERO

Wheatpaste is a gel or liquid adhesive made from wheat flour or starch and water. It has been used since antiquity for various arts and crafts such as book binding, collage, papier-mâché and adhering paper posters and notices to walls.

wo years ago, an image of a frog on a poster that appeared to be stuck with wheatpaste along all the phone and traffic light boxes in El Paso, TX, caught my attention. The image of this frog, with a joint in one hand, always appeared around the same time and area that the Neon Desert Music Festival was taking place. It was later revealed that the image was the work of the local artist collective, Los Visionaries. An essential part of this group is Deadpunk. His trademark figures are Emiliano Zapata with a zombie face, James Dean, Mohamed Ali and Che Guevara dressed as punks, Bruce Lee with studs and Frida Kahlo with leather jeans. The images are an insight of how these characters could look if they had been part of the punk scene. The intentional iconography in Deadpunk’s art, in choosing the specific characters portrayed in his work, is based on a philosophy, he says: “Those characters are iconic for me because they always had a philosophy of thinking different from others; that’s what I liked the most about them.” Deadpunk mainly does digital collages, but what is interesting here is the environment in where his images are stuck: on fences, poles, trash cans and other urban canvases in which they clearly stand out from the context— but this format is not the only one for Deadpunk. There are also mixed media works—wood painted with acrylics and neon colors stand out in his work.

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The reason why he wants his work to be seen in this context, according to Deadpunk, is that it reaches different people who normally don’t visit art galleries, this way anyone can appreciate his work, which can be seen throughout several places like Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Los Angeles, Ciudad Juarez and throughout several places in Europe. What’s next for Deadpunk is a show in November at the Barba Contemporary Art Gallery in Palm Springs, CA, Art Battle in December in Austin, TX and another one at the VIP Gallery in Chicago, IL, in March 2018. As for the art scene in El Paso, Deadpunk says: “The city has a lot to offer; more and more people are coming to see what is being done here. There are also many artists who are gaining notoriety and the city itself is gaining attention in the art field.” This is thanks to the union between the 2 cities (Ciudad Juarez and El Paso). Artists collaborate with each other, making the panorama proactive and vibrant more than ever.” Deadpunk combines these characters and cultural icons without feeling any respect or remorse, just as punk should be—rebellious. I see it as a tribute and, being honest, Frida looks better than ever. instagram.com/deadpunk_x/ deadpunk.bigcartel.com

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DIVISIÓN DEL NORTE ARTE TRICÉFALO PARA LA CIUDAD TXT: RAFAEL A. REVILLA R. | FOTO: HÉCTOR HERRERA/DIVISIÓN DEL NORTE

“División del Norte es una forma de vida, es la respuesta a la necesidad de sus integrantes de moverse, de hacer lo que nos gusta, de seguir aprendiendo y de vivir dándole alegría al mundo, empezando por uno mismo.”

n el año del 2015 se forma División del Norte, colectivo artístico, estudio de arte o simplemente tres amigos que se juntaron a realizar arte, como mencionan ellos: “En el año de 2015 se terminaba la universidad, nacía División del Norte sin serlo aún, tricéfalo ser que enfrentaba la realidad confirmando lo que ya sospechaba, el mundo es como la hora del recreo donde División elige las reglas de su juego.” El nombre obviamente hace mención y referencia a la famosa División del Norte, batallón militar encabezado por el General Francisco Villa y el general Felipe Ángeles. Este colectivo busca romper las barreras del arte, exhibiendo en galerías, calles, muros y cualquier lugar donde se pueda plasmar su trabajo, haciendo obras monumentales, pintando bardas, tapas de registros telefónicos con gatos alucinógenos, perros chihuahueños del tamaño de edificios, pintando esos rincones escondidos de la ciudad donde nadie los nota a primera vista, todo esto haciendo una obra a la vez. División del Norte está conformada por 3 artistas chihuahuenses, Daniel Iván Montes Aragonés, Roberto Pinedo Briones y Antonio León García, todos egresados de Facultad de Artes de la Universidad Autónoma De Chihuahua y en ocasiones cobijados por la academia de arte de La Estación Arte Contemporáneo de Fernando Rascón, sus diferentes obras abarcan múltiples tamaños, pero como lo mencionaba anteriormente, su característica principal es el gran formato, teniendo obras de más de 5 metros en su mayoría, sus colores contrastantes también son su trademark.

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”El arte, el trabajo en equipo, la amistad y el reconocimiento mutuo de las habilidades de cada uno de sus integrantes fueron caldo de cultivo que generó en las calles lo que hoy es División del Norte... 3 amigos contra y a favor del sistema que deciden dedicar su vida a las artes sin preguntar y sin llorar.” Lo más interesante de División del Norte son las diferentes formas plasmadas en su obra, portales hacia otras dimensiones, seres del espacio, dibujos geométricos, tigres rodeados por espíritus, esculturas hechas con juguetes y un sinfín de experimentación de la que ellos mismos son parte y lo demuestran haciendo un mural de un perro chihuahueño con un peyote de más de 20 metros de ancho y 60 metros de alto, que está plasmado en el costado de uno de los edificios principales en el centro histórico de la ciudad de Chihuahua, la creación de este polémico mural significó más de 100 horas de trabajo suspendido en andamios a una altura de 70 metros, para algunos ciudadanos suele verse como algo que afea el centro, para otros le da vida al mismo, lo que sí es que el trabajo de División del Norte jamás pasará desapercibido, siendo claramente una analogía de su obra, estas opiniones encontradas casi siempre son así de polarizadas cuando se trata de arte urbano en nuestras ciudades. Polémicos o no, nunca pasan inadvertidos y parecen no aminorar el paso, ya planean dos murales para el final de año y algunas exposiciones para comienzos del siguiente, añadiéndole esos toques de felicidad a los muros de nuestra ciudad y edificios. facebook.com/Estudio.Divisiondelnorte

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ESCUCHANDO A LOS DIFUNTOS DESCONOCIDOS TXT: LUIS HERNÁNDEZ

uestra cultura la llevamos hasta en los huesos, incrustada en el ADN. Nos permite entender de dónde venimos y en cierta manera nos encamina a lo que podemos y queremos lograr. Pero la cultura se debe cultivar, transmitir y estudiar, de lo contrario corre el riesgo de extinguirse o peor aún, ser ignorada. Cultivarla y darla a conocer ha sido precisamente lo que emprendió el cineasta paseño Ramón Villa Hernández, escritor, productor y director de su más reciente proyecto: la película “Juana Doe”. A través de este medio Villa Hernández busca explorar los temas de cultura, la muerte, la ciencia y la cruel realidad de la inmigración forzada, todo con el propósito de promover un dialogo constructivo dentro de la comunidad fronteriza. Juana Doe hace referencia a “Jane Doe”, nombre que se le da en los Estados Unidos a una mujer fallecida no identificada. La historia gira entorno

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de la muerte de Juana, una mujer migrante que pierde la vida en su intento por cruzar la frontera y, paralelamente, la de Malena, una joven antropóloga forense interesada en identificar sus restos. La muerte de migrantes a lo largo de las zonas áridas e inclementes del sur de Texas, han aumentado conforme cambia el acceso a las antiguas rutas de la inmigración ilícita. Mientras edifican más vallas de contención y prometen muros, estas rutas son remplazadas por opciones considerablemente más peligrosas para aquellos que arriesgan todo. Sin identificar, estos restos de personas que sucumbieron a las inclemencias del desierto, la desesperante deshidratación y la atroz hipotermia durante esas marchas kilométricas y el eventual abandono de los polleros, parecen no lograr un descanso final digno, situación que se agrava ante la falta de recursos federales y estatales para atender esta crisis migratoria pero también de derechos

humanos. En el mejor de los casos, cuando estos restos óseos son estudiados e identificados, sus familiares obtienen la certeza de que se trata de sus seres queridos. En el peor y cada vez más común escenario, estos restos desconocidos, carentes de nombre y pasado, son colocados dentro de fosas comunes junto con los demás olvidados. “Dentro de mis investigaciones encontré que lo que es todo el Estado de Texas existen estas fosas comunes de migrantes; conocí historias e investigaciones periodísticas y eso rompió todo el colmo: ¿cómo puede estar pasando esto?”, exclama Villa. Frustrado ante esta realidad, el cineasta decidió enfocar sus conocimientos visuales y artísticos para contar una historia, una de miles, pero una con resonancia y peso propio.

Al conocer el tema más a fondo y escuchar las grabaciones de las llamadas de emergencia que fueron los últimos alientos y palabras de estos migrantes perdidos, Villa no esperó más y emprendió su proyecto audiovisual.

es la protagonista de la película. En la trama, ella descubre su poder latente para comunicarse con los difuntos, habilidad que paralela su capacidad científica de analizar y decodificar restos humanos. Ella cuenta con el poder de escuchar a los muertos.

Para lograrlo utiliza el sitio web de donaciones monetarias llamado “Seed & Spark”, que a diferencia de un GoFundMe u otros sitios con propósitos similares, esta vía se especializa en la recolecta de financiamiento para películas.

Tenía que traer ese problema a la mesa de discusión; una conversación de carácter binacional, que debe de incluir la perspectiva de científicos, periodistas, políticos, departamentos gubernamentales y organizaciones no lucrativas en defensa del migrante.

Esta virtud la lleva a encontrar a Juana, protagonizada por Janet Solís, quien fallece a los bordes de los límites fronterizos. Tanto Juana como Malena comparten un vínculo especial que las motiva a encontrar su camino, uno de descanso y el otro de objetivo.

La colecta comenzó el 2 de noviembre, Día de los Muertos, y continuará hasta los primeros días de diciembre. La meta a obtener es de 12 mil dólares y hasta el momento se han recolectado más de 6 mil dólares provenientes de contribuyentes que desean ´dar alas´ al proyecto.

“Los antropólogos forenses son los que encuentran estos restos humanos y tratan de identificar y comunicarse con los muertos; ese fue el personaje que me llamó la atención, aquel que quiere escuchar a los difuntos”, explicó el cineasta.

“Si somos capaces de recolectar este dinero tendremos la capacidad de proveerle a la comunidad este proyecto y sus donativos significan que están interesados en conocer del tema”, apunta Villa, quien reconoce que el apoyo de la comunidad para contar esta historia es vital. Una historia que nosotros los fronterizos conocemos, pero que al mismo tiempo desconocemos.

Con el consejo de académicos y científicos de la Universidades de Baylor y Texas State y la Universidad de Texas en El Paso, más el apoyo de antropólogos forenses a lo largo del país, Villa y su equipo local e independiente se propusieron crear una película que aborde la temática de una manera informativa y abierta al dialogo. Incorporando el “realismo mágico” -método narrativo que combina los temas reales con elementos surreales-, el autor cuenta la historia de Juana Doe a través de una amalgama de historias: la búsqueda de cultura, la reverencia por nuestros queridos difuntos y cómo la ciencia moderna, en ocasiones, puede beneficiarse de las tradiciones de antaño. Malena, personificada por la actriz Valeria Álvarez,

El proyecto fílmico, compuesto por talento local en ambos lados de la cámara, se encuentra en su fase de pre-producción. Lo que falta, como suele ser el caso en proyectos independientes en el Estado de Texas, es el respaldo económico. Villa busca que este proyecto sea de la comunidad y para la comunidad, y por ello, en vez de ir y buscar financiamiento por compañías grandes, inició una campaña de recaudación de fondos que genera deducibilidad de impuesto para los donantes.

Para conocer más sobre la película y su camino a ser una realidad, pueden visitar el sitio web www.juanadoe. com, para aportar un granito de arena pueden ir a seedandspark.com/fund/juanadoe#story.

BAD BUNNY

BOUNCES ONTO COLISEUM STAGE TXT: FUSION MAG

roclaimed the “Poster Boy of Trap en Español” by Remezcla magazine, Puerto Rican reggaeton powerhouse Bad Bunny will captivate the audience December 15 at the El Paso County Coliseum, 4100 E Paisano. The rapper/singer/producer began his music stint at the age of 13. He studied communications at the University of Puerto Rico, awaiting his family’s green light to push ahead with a career in music. Their approval marked critical juncture in Ocasio’s life, and indelibly marked his future. The artist’s success skyrocketed upon bursting on the scene last year. From the distinct designs he has shaved onto his head, his eclectic fashion sense to his driving baritone, Bad Bunny (born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio) has proven that unwavering swagger, dedication and of course innate talent, are the keys to nearly overnight success. His collaboration with DJ Luian has helped solidify his position on the electronic scene. The DJ, with his Puerto Rican label Hear This Music, in tow, have helped Bad Bunny become a mainstay. His groundbreaking single “Diles” was the catalyst for Ocasio’s partnership with Luian, as the track caught his attention and helped launch the former’s career. From there, a remix of “Diles” was created, with such heavyweight collaborators like reggaetonero Ozuna, Arcangel and Farruko. Since the release of “Diles,” the artist has produced a series of hard-hitting singles generating more than 5 million Spotify listeners on a monthly basis and over a billion You Tube views. Singles “Tu No Vives Asi” and “Soy Peor” have proved to be just as catchy. He will be joined at the Coliseum by San Diego based artist, DJ Extreme.

BAD BUNNY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15TH EL PASO COUNTY COLISEUM TICKETS $40 THEFUSIONMAG.COM | 37

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