Ustedes (Them)

In October 2020, Krzysztof Wodiczko launched Ustedes (Them) which made its debut in the U.S. in this second production. Wodiczko co-opted drone technology, often employed by governments for border surveillance operations, as a medium to broadcast the voices and perspectives of immigrants and refugees. For the New York City iteration of the project, the artist engaged those who are most affected by bans, separations, policing, with a focus on labor exploitation. Wodiczko used his drones to present a series of moving and difficult recorded performances that addressed American immigration issues, just ahead of the 2020 presidential elections.

Wodiczko collaborated with immigrants from South and Central America, both documented and undocumented, with many of the voices coming from older generations who have spent decades working extremely hard in this country in difficult and precarious situations, and without safety nets when they can no longer work or get sick. Immigrants often work longer hours for much less money, have no insurance or pension, and may be subjected to sexual exploitation or xenophobic or racist comments and behaviors without having any paths to proper recourse. As Covid-19 brought essential and front line workers into clear focus, it was time to hear from this most vulnerable group.

To facilitate a thoughtful and sensitive process, More Art worked with Make the Road New York.

To view photos and videos of the 2019 production of this project in Italy, please visit the Loro (Them) project page.

View the press release.

Read the full performance script in the Ustedes (Them) publication.
Lea el guión completo de la actuación en la publicación Ustedes (Them).

Excerpt/Extracto: Amador Rivas

Yo tengo una satisfacción tan grande y creo que me voy a morir tranquilo porque participé en un movimiento de grupo este movimiento Black Lives Matter que tanto ha influido en la lucha en este país.
I get such great satisfaction and I think that I will die peacefully because I participated in this group movement, the Black Lives Matter movement that has influenced so much the struggle in this country.

Estuvimos encerrado mucho tiempo, pero el segundo día que estallaron las protestas, no pude aguantar más y salí a la calle también a luchar con con la gente, con la comunidad, con los negros, con los blancos.
We were locked up for a long time, but on the second day, the second day that the protests broke out, I couldn’t take it anymore and I went out into the streets too, to fight with the people, with the community, with Black people, with white people.

La gente de siempre han dicho que esta juventud no sirve, que esta juventud no, no, no sirve para nada, como dicen las personas mayores.
People have always said that this youth is not good, that this youth is not, no, not good for anything, as the older people say.

Pero yo creo que la juventud ha demostrado durante este período que sí está preparada y que sí está lista para hacer un cambio en el sistema, porque hace falta no reformar el sistema, sino cambiar el sistema que está en movimiento, que ya ha avanzado un paso más hacia hacia el fascismo.
But I think the youth have shown during this period that they are ready and they are ready to make a change in the system, because it is not necessary to reform the system, but to change the system that is in motion, that has already moved one step further towards fascism.

Y me voy a morir tranquilo porque fue algo que nunca pensé ver en mi vida en los Estados Unidos antes de morir.
And I will die peacefully because it was something that I never thought I would see in my life in the United States before I died.