Michelle-Angela Ortiz
Familias Separadas, 2015
Open Source / Mural Arts Philadelphia
Immigration & Customs Enforcement, 1600 Callowhill Street. Philadelphia
June - November 2015
In her series Familias Separadas (Separated Families), Michelle-Angela Ortiz addresses immigrants’ largely silent struggle against deportation. Ortiz reveals the human story behind the politics of immigration, through a series of portraits and phrases derived from interviews with individuals whose families have been torn apart. The five-part series of site-specific art installations were on view in key locations throughout Philadelphia.
Made as part of Mural Arts Philadelphia Open Source city-wide public art initiative, and in collaboration with members of JUNTOS, a community organization dedicated to defending immigrant rights, Familias Separadas provided a glimpse into the complex issues surrounding mankind’s basic need to establish a family and home. Text-based works such as, We are Human Beings, positioned in front of a deportation facility in central Philadelphia in clear view of federal officers working inside, visually amplified the words and experiences of those caught in a system of deportation.
Guest Curator: Pedro Alonzo
IG @michelleangelaortiz / michelleangela.com
Photo credits: Steve Weinik