Living Inside Sanctuary: Artist Talk With Cynthia Santos Briones

Went to the Living Inside Sanctuary Artist Talk with Cinthya Santos Briones the other night at the Green-Wood cemetery. Briones discussed her photographs of undocumented people living in sanctuary and their families and the difficult decisions made in choosing to represent these people in the first place.

Sarah Gozalo from New Sanctuary Coalition led things off. She talked about last year's suitcase solidarity march, where people were asked to imagine what they would pack in the single suitcase of a loved one that ICE allows deportees. (For example, I would have to imagine what I would pack for Johanna or Lucy -- one suitcase). Sarah was particularly defiant in recounting this action, in light of the recent reports that ICE has been monitoring NSC's actions and accompaniments much more closely than anyone was aware (as well as other immigrant rights groups).

Briones talked about the situations that these people were living in, the different kinds of support that different communities were providing, and how the concept of "sanctuary" (despite how nice the word sounds) is often a reality and situation that is traumatic. Not just for the person but for the family members and the community.

She mentioned that in addition to the talk there was an installation in Sunset Park, between 34th and 36th streets on 4th ave. So after I picked up Lucy from school yesterday, we stopped by to look at it. Here are some photos I took (with my supercool camera). It's kind of a an unprepossessing display, the photos don't really stand out unless you decide to focus on them. The sidewalk isn't ideal for viewing, lot of traffic going by etc. But you should go see it anyway if you can and post your own pictures.

The question of representation is a difficult one and needs to be part of any conversation about these matters. The question comes up in Francisco Cantu's book that I mentioned recently (The Line Becomes a River) and in Valeria Luiselli's incredible new novel The Lost Children Archive. I can't recommend this latter book strongly enough. (Bay Ridge’s own Juan Carlos Ruiz even makes a brief cameo.) (I also recommend Rebecca Schreiber's academic study Undocumented Everyday.)