Transborder Biennial 2018 to Unite US and Mexico Border Cities

The fifth edition of the Transborder Biennial will take place from June 1 to September 16, 2018, simultaneously at the El Paso Museum of Art in Texas and the Museo de Arte de Ciudad Juárez in Mexico. Organized in response to rising xenophobia and Donald Trump's proposed border wall, the biennial features artists living in the US-Mexico border region, including Los Angeles, Chihuahua, San Diego, Tijuana, El Paso, Juárez, and San Antonio. Each museum will host its own exhibition, with participating artists presenting two works—one per venue—and two curators overseeing the shows. The dual structure encourages visitors to cross the border to see both exhibitions. Themes range from immigration, politics, economy, violence, and landscape to exploration of personal, cultural, and linguistic identities tied to the border. El Paso Museum of Art director Victoria Ramirez emphasized that the biennial reflects the fluid lifestyle of thousands who cross daily, living on one side and working on the other. Juárez, often cited as one of the world's most dangerous cities due to drug-related violence, is also a multifaceted binational community where art thrives.