Art exhibition in Guatemala shows how children view migration

‘Horizons: A child’s view of migration’ is an artistic exhibition presented by the National Museum of Mayan Art, Archeology and Ethnology of Guatemala City in which 18 works about migration made by children are exhibited.

Some of the works like ‘The American Nightmare’ and ‘For love’ were the result of a day of workshops given by the Carlos F. Novella Foundation to 26 children between 6 and 14 years old from San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala.

“This drawing is based on the thought of how hard and complicated it is to separate from our family members, our loved ones for trying to find that American dream that results in a nightmare,” explains Pablo, 13 years old, author of ‘The American Nightmare’a piece made with crayon that portrays two opposite worlds: that of a mother and her son saying goodbye to a father who is on the other side, in a desert, with a backpack on his back.

Another of the works exhibited in the Guatemalan museum is that of Génesis, a 10-year-old girl who, with a slightly broken voice, explains that her work represents her mother and her brother, who had no other alternative but to migrate, leaving her and another of her sisters in Guatemala. The Genesis work made with tempera is titled “For Love” and a mother is seen hugging her daughter.

To create the artistic exhibition, the children received information about migration and its implications for family and society. Also, they were given courses on different plastic techniques such as drawing with crayons, use of temperas, freehand and portraiture.

“Then they were presented with several images so that they could have a reference on what their migration drawing could be like,” adds Heidy Jocop, coordinator of the Socio-Sports School of the Carlos F. Novella Foundation.

A child’s view of irregular migration can be filled with curiosity, compassion, and perhaps a little confusion. According to the Foundation’s conclusions, some children see the issue as an adventure and others as a difficult situation for those who must leave their homes.

Another of the works titled “A Journey with Pain” captures the backpack of a person who sets out on his way to another country, whose interior carries a broken heart. The painting was done by 10-year-old Yessica.

The exhibition will be available until June 18 at the National Museum of Mayan Art, Archeology and Ethnology in Guatemala City.

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