9 Families: Emergency Architecture

9 Families: Emergency Architecture (132.2005), Newsletter

For their first solo exhibition in New York City, Torolab explores their concept of “emergency architecture.” This work is not a response to a singular catastrophic event but rather a means to address the widespread struggle for basic necessities that characterizes daily life in cities such as Tijuana. Tijuana is the fastest growing city in Mexico, at the heart of a trans-border metropolitan region that stretches from Los Angeles in the north to Ensenada in the south. Every year millions pass through this frontier city and use it as gateway to the United States. Few think of Tijuana as their final destination; it is rather a necessary stop en route to opportunities and a better life. However, an increasing number of this itinerant population is making Tijuana its permanent home. This phenomenon is the focus of Torolab’s project, 9 Families.