Documents add to a weighty discussion at the National Museum of Mexican Art
by Micromanager
Background
Our performance paid tribute to Rodrigo Lara’s exhibition, “Deportable Aliens.” Few Americans are aware of a mass deportation of Mexican-born persons during the 1930s euphemistically called repatriation and we appreciated Rodrigo’s efforts to bring this shameful event to light.
Putting the oft-repeated motto of Documents Bureau to work we employed the path of most resistance. Our event at the National Museum of Mexican Art included numerous steps that aimed to expose the absurdity of repatriation.
The event was coordinated by Illinois Humanities and the Museum. 5 Rabbit Cerveceria was present with their special edition anti-bigotry beer Chinga Tu Pelo.
The Event
In the time before the main speaking event, Documents bureau assigned people new identities and “repatriated” them to faraway or not-so-faraway lands.
Attendees spontaneously formed an enormous line, further adding to their misery and the illusion that bureaucrats held their fate.
When they reached the front of the line they were made aware of their fate and advised to make use of the document services provided.
They were given a travel fortune.
They met with our team of clerks and addressed their new problem head on or else denied their fate and worked to better their lives in other ways.
The Society of Smallness 