ABOUT
The dark, high-contrast scenes that define this series are classic oil paintings rendered in a reduced black-and-white palette. They serve as a visual meditation on inter-American migration, simultaneously portraying real places and evoking the hopes and fears of those compelled to flee.
Every year, thousands of people cross Mexico without legal documents in search of a better future in the United States. Most are from Central America and are regarded in both the U.S. and Mexico as illegal migrants and criminals, pushed to the margins of society. The journey, often lasting weeks or months, is undertaken atop the freight train known as La Bestia(“The Beast”). In recent years, traveling “on the back of the Beast” has become one of the most dangerous migrations in the world. Those who take this route frequently endure systematic violations of their fundamental rights, and many lose their lives before reaching their destination.
La Bestia is not only a synonym for the train; in a broader sense, it symbolizes the failure of an entire system unable to provide opportunities. For migrants, it represents both hope and danger, embodying a profound ambivalence.
This ambivalence is central to Arámbula’s work, shaping the project’s development over time. Initiated in collaboration with photographer Mira Cécile Merks in 2012, this series marks the starting point for Arámbula’s subsequent body of work.
