Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibit
Main Reading Room
October 15 - November 4, 2021
Opening Reception, Friday, October 15 at 5:30pm
In conjunction with the University of Vermont's Department of Anthropology, Professor Teresa Mares and the Undocumented Migration Project, Fletcher Free Library is honored to host the exhibit Hostile Terrain 94 (HT94). HT94 is a participatory exhibition created by the Undocumented Migration Project, a non-profit organization that focuses on the social process of immigration and raises awareness through research, education, and outreach.
The exhibit is composed of approximately 3,400 handwritten toe tags that represent migrants who have died trying to cross the Sonoran Desert from the mid-1990s to 2020. These tags are geolocated on a large wall map of the Arizona-Mexico border, showing the exact locations where human remains were found. The physical act of writing out the names and information for the dead invites participants to reflect, witness and stand in solidarity with those who have lost their lives in search of a better one.
This exhibit is taking place at over 120 institutions across 6 continents with the intention to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis at America’s southern border and to engage with communities around the world in conversations about migration.
A team of UVM Anthropology students will facilitate participation in tag-filling, where members of the public write the details of the dead and then publicly place the tags on the map– in the exact location where each individual's remains were found. Complementary programming and events will be held at FFL and at UVM throughout the tenure of the exhibit.
For more information, visit www.ht94.org
