Breaking down cultural barriers is no easy feat, but two geniuses have managed to come close by installing a hot pink seesaw at the US-Mexico border.
Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, who are the co-founders of the studio Rael San Fratello, came up with the “Teetertotter Wall” which originally began in 2009 as conceptual drawings.
In an Instagram post, Rael explained that bringing the seesaw to life has been “one of the most incredible experiences of my and [San Fratello’s] career,” and that putting it together was “an event filled with joy, excitement, and togetherness at the border wall.”
“The wall became a literal fulcrum for US-Mexico relations and children and adults that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side,” he wrote.
The installment of the seesaws couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time, considering recent reports of the mistreatment of migrants at the US border stations. Yesterday, the New York Times reported that more than 900 migrant children have been separated from their families over the past year.
The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services has weighed in on the Rael and San Fratello’s Teetertotter Wall, writing on Twitter, “Art is such a powerful vehicle for change.”
“A beautiful installation at our southern border that reminds us that: “Actions that take place on one side have direct consequences on the other…We are all connected. We are all one.”
It’s a moving message of unity and shows that making meaningful connections with one another will only make the world a better place.