Tom Kiefer had been working as a janitor for the Customs and Border Protection processing facility in Ajo, Arizona for four years when he noticed an influx of personal belongings that were confiscated and discarded by U.S. Border Patrol agents.
These items, deemed “non essential” and “potentially lethal” consisted of basic human necessities and comforts — such as clothing, contraceptives and hygiene products.
Courtesy of the artist.
“El Sueño Americano/The American Dream: Photographs by Tom Kiefer” is a still-life photography exhibition that captures the humanity of those risking their lives to cross into the United States. The items documented within the exhibit were collected by Keifer between the years of 2003 and 2014, exploring the dehumanization and heartache migrants entering the country may have faced.
“I ask the viewer to consider these photographs as untold and unknown stories, markers of human journeys cut short,” Kiefer said in an artist statement. “My intent is to explore the humanity of those who risk their lives crossing the desert into the United States to create a personal connection for the viewer and to extend compassion and empathy to those who seek a better life.”
Tara Centybear, the curator of art for the Boise Art Museum, met Tom Keifer at the Medium Photo Festival in 2015.
“Keifer showed me a few photographs from the El Sueño series and they seared themselves into my brain. Like many curators, I hold artists in mind for years — nine years in this case — until the strongest opportunity to exhibit their artwork arises,” Centybear said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled that I had the chance to select the photographs included in this original exhibition at the Boise Art Museum.”
As you enter the exhibition, the wall is lined with head-on photographs of backpacks. Each unique backpack is framed and displayed on a brightly colored background.
Centybear noted that creating space for conversation about border issues and immigration was essential to deciding the layout and writing seen throughout the gallery.
“The photographs of the backpacks in the first gallery aim to discuss the difficulty of choosing what to bring when leaving your home country with only what you can carry,” Centybear said. “Hopefully, this encourages people to think, ‘What items would I bring if I were leaving my country on foot?’”
The Boise Art Museum often receives requests for tissues due to the emotional weight of the exhibition.
“Los Amuletos Migran (The Amulets Migrate), 2019” is an original video produced by the Skirball Cultural Center. The Boise Art Museum chose to project this video on an accent wall in the middle of the exhibit.
The video follows a conversation between Tom Kiefer and migrant rights advocate Dora Rodriquez as she shares her immigration story and provides context to some of the items Kiefer had recovered from the Border Patrol station.
About three and a half minutes into the video, Rodriguez reads a letter that was likely confiscated by an agent and never made it to its intended recipient.
“Blanca, quiero que sepas que te he amado desde que te conocí,” the letter read. “Sabes que me gustan tus ojitos bonitos. Me hipnotizan, que seré tuyo siempre.”
Translated in English it reads: “Blanca, I want you to know that I have loved you since the moment I met you. You know how I love your beautiful eyes. They hypnotize me. I will belong to you forever.”
Courtesy of the artist.
“Cynthia’s CD Collection” leaves a hole in your heart as you enter the final gallery of Kiefer’s exhibit.
The photograph consists of 32 CDs surrounding a hot pink CD bag. One of the CDs is a mixtape titled “Super Sappy Songs for Issa 2”.
“Super Sappy Songs for Issa compilation is really a soundtrack for the journey across the desert,” Kiefer said of the piece. “I am sure the loss of this collection was devastating to Cynthia.”
The piece makes the viewer question: Who is Cynthia? Who is Issa to her? Were they in love? Were they best friends?
The Boise Art Museum curated a playlist of 14 songs from “Cynthia’s CD Collection” that plays over the speaker in the final gallery of the exhibition. The playlist includes six songs from “Super Sappy Songs for Issa 2”, including “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie and “The Real Thing” by Gwen Stefani.
“Art can serve many roles. Art beautifies, brings joy and inspires. It exists as a platform for discussion on important issues — issues that form the conceptual backbone of the artwork,” Centybear said. “‘El Sueño Americano/The American Dream’ gives our community a reason and a space to think about what is happening at the U.S.-Mexico border. It aims to humanize people seeking asylum and share a little bit of their story so that we all can educate ourselves on this aspect of our world.”
“El Sueño Americano/The American Dream” will be exhibited at the Boise Art Museum until Feb. 9, 2024.
