The border is a line that birds cannot see

The Border is a Line that Birds Cannot See is an exhibition that explores the tension between barriers and passageways through painting and sculptural installation. At its center is a metallic structure made of cast aluminum and steel, which shifts between the form of a military observation post and a playground slide. This duality reflects the contradictory nature of borders—restrictive yet permeable, spaces of both surveillance and play.

Surrounding the structure, large-scale oil paintings act as scenographic backdrops, extending the work into its environment. The installation transforms the gallery into a theatrical landscape, where the boundaries between inside and outside blur, and the viewer becomes part of the narrative.

Through these elements, the project reflects on systems of control, migration, and how architecture and space dictate movement. By combining painting with sculptural and architectural interventions, Berenice Vargas Bravo creates an immersive experience that questions ideas of access, restriction, and the physical presence of borders.

Exhibition on view at SAIC Galleries, 33 E Washington, Chicago, IL, until Saturday, March 1 2025.