#american frontier

Rafał Milach, “I Am Warning You” (GOST, 2021)

Photographs of three international border walls: the American-Mexican, Hungarian-Serbian-Croatian, and Berlin walls. 

Milach’s sharply observed, perceptive images raise questions about how the physical presence and functions of border walls impact our sense of identity and memory.

“Mexico, Baja California, Tijuana 05.2019 Improvised shelter by the Mexican–US border wall.” (© Rafał Milach / Magnum Photos),

“Mexico, Mexicali 11.2019 Construction of the new border wall between US and Mexico. On February 23rd 2018, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office published The Final Report on Border Wall Mockup and Prototype Test. It presents, amongst other, various breaching and scaling tests of the eight future border wall prototypes proposed by Homeland Security in response to Donald Trump’s Executive Order #13767. The prototypes were nothing else, but a demonstration of power. They were not integrated into the new structure of the border wall that had been gradually replacing the old recycled Vietnam War helicopter landing panels. The project reflects upon the design of geographical and political division. It is dedicated to architecture of control and its impact on local landscape and urban structures.” (© Rafał Milach / Magnum Photos),

“HUNGARY. Matty 10.2019 Croatian-Hungarian border at the nature reserve.” (© Rafał Milach / Magnum Photos),

“Germany. Berlin 10.2019 Piece of the Berlin Wall acquired at the Mauerpark flea market at former death strip. Price: 3 euro.” (© Rafał Milach / Magnum Photos)