Andrea Vargas, Axle Contemporary, and two California-based toy designers have partnered to transform the look of the Axle Contemporary mobile artspace next month. In fact, gallery visitors will be tempted to assume that Axle is selling ice cream and candy now, but they’ll discover that its signage does not read ICE CREAM but “ICE SCREAMS – MELT THE ICE.”
 
On November 12, 2019, TIME Magazine reported 69,550 children and families in US detention camps.  Thousands of children “vanished” while in custody, and others died, some as young as two. Many detained families reported becoming ill after surviving the conditions of what is called the “hielera,” the ice box.   
 
The mission of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is to protect America from threats to national security and public safety — but this new art installation confirms that families should not be separated under the guise of national security.
 
This desire is also shared by our new Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez, who contacted Vargas on the night of the presidential inauguration to share that Vargas’ community art installations inspired her to write a bill to reunite separated families. 
 
Visitors to Axle in February and March  will have a chance to also make their own voices heard. In fact. you will be welcome to “scream” first, and then take action by participating in a mail campaign:  Special postcards will be available to send back to Congress in support of legislation to reunite families and bring healing to our communities. 
 

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This exhibition is part of Axle Contemporary BROADSIDES series. Broadsides is a series of large-scale wheatpaste interventions on the exterior of the Axle Contemporary mobile artspace.

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