B O R D E R S
Every border crossing begins with an act of rupture. For immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, crossing a border is not merely a geographic passage but an existential one—suspended between departure and arrival, loss and hope, fear and possibility. In moments of extreme desperation, people are pushed beyond what can be conceived—risking everything, including their lives, to cross. The future remains unknowable: a leap into nothingness.
CARSEAT
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico → El Paso, Texas, United States. A man attempts to cross the port of entry concealed inside a car seat. He is discovered on the United States side and returned to Mexico.
LUGGAGE
Berlin, East Germany → Berlin, West Germany. A man is transported inside a suitcase by his family in an attempt to cross from East to West Berlin. He is discovered at Checkpoint Charlie and returned. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, he later crosses freely.
WHEEL
Tangier, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco → Algeciras, Andalusia, Spain. A woman travels hidden inside the spare-wheel compartment of a vehicle during a ferry crossing between Morocco and Spain. She is discovered after approximately six hours and later resides in El Ejido, Andalusia, Spain.
CAYUCO
Dakar, Dakar Region, Senegal → Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. A man travels on a small fishing vessel carrying multiple passengers toward the Canary Islands. The vessel sinks and he is the sole survivor. He later resides in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
TAXINAUTA
Havana, La Habana Province, Cuba → Miami, Florida, United States. Five people attempt to cross the Caribbean Sea in a handmade vessel constructed from a modified taxi body. They are intercepted by authorities and returned to Cuba. They continue to attempt the crossing.
MATTRESS
Bamako, Mali → Oujda, Oriental, Morocco. A migrant travels hidden inside a mattress while moving north through West Africa toward the Moroccan border, aiming to continue toward Europe. He continues attempting the journey.
TUBE
North Hamgyong Province, North Korea → Jilin Province, China. A woman crosses the Tumen River at night using a car tire for flotation. She swims across the river and enters China, continuing through border regions in search of safety.
POLLERO
Guatemala City, Guatemala → San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. A twelve-year-old boy is detained by Mexican authorities after driving a cargo truck carrying migrants from El Salvador concealed in the vehicle. He is arrested in Chiapas, Mexico.
SANTO TORIBIO
Nogales, Sonora, Mexico → Tucson, Arizona, United States. A man crosses the Sonoran Desert on foot carrying an image of Santo Toribio Romo, the patron saint of migrants. The journey lasts four days. He later resides in Tucson, Arizona.
BLACK PASSPORT
Kragujevac, Šumadija District, Serbia → Rome, Lazio, Italy. A man acquires a European Union passport through the black market. He later settles in Rome, Italy.
THE CONTRACT
Kolkata, West Bengal, India → London, England, United Kingdom. A man enters a marriage of convenience in order to obtain legal residency in the United Kingdom. He later resides in Wales while his status is unresolved.
SURVIVAL KIT
Sonora, Mexico → Arizona, United States. A survival kit is assembled for migrants preparing to cross the Sonoran Desert. The object is later associated with the development of What Remains.