Image above of Lysa Flores, as Calafia in the Califas .
Califas (made in 2018) will be on the big screen to represent the current transborder poetry in Chicanx art. Victoria Delgadillo and Raul Baltazar will discuss their video process when creating Califas, along with the greats of Chicanx video art in Los Angeles: Rita Gonzalez, Harry Gamboa, Jr., and Berta Jottar.
Transborder poetry in Chicanx video art acts as a critical, aesthetic, and political tool, utilizing digital and performance media to bridge, interrogate, and challenge the U.S.-Mexico border. This art form often blends spoken word, electronic literature, and visual imagery to address issues of migration, identity, and resistance. Rather than just a divide, the border is treated in video art as a space of “sutures,” where ruptures are healed and cultures are unified through artistic intervention. Many artists incorporate ancient Mesoamerican imagery to challenge Eurocentrism and reassert Indigenous, transborder identities. Video works often feature dialogue in both English and Spanish, mirroring the dualities of the Chicanx experience and navigating the space between cultures.
