“Marking Time: Victoria, Texas”

Artists document a border elegy

Comments (0) By Lisa L. Powell Thursday, Nov 1 2007

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Victoria, Texas, made the news in 2003 as the site where 19 undocumented immigrants met a grisly death while trapped in the back of a truck bound for Houston. The tragedy prompted artists Michele Grinstead and Nancy O’Connor to spend time documenting the infamous site. The resulting “Marking Time: Victoria, Texas,” on view at the Houston Center for Photography, a wide-ranging collaborative project, is a collection of photos and video and sculpture. In one photograph, a torn Mexican flag, a teddy bear and other mementos dangle from a barbed wire fence, a makeshift tribute to the people who died there. In another photograph, a truck stop eerily glows in the dusky night, and in another, a weather-worn wooden cross is seen on the side of the road, just feet away from a truck stand. Within the gallery sits a large locked box, reminiscent of the truck’s trailer where the immigrants suffocated in the heat. “Marking Time: Victoria, Texas” is a sad reminder of a tragic moment in local history. After an opening reception on Friday, November 2, at 6 p.m., regular viewing hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays, noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 1441 West Alabama. Through December 23. For information, call 713-529-4755 or visit www.hcponline.org. Free.
Wednesdays-Sundays. Starts: Nov. 2. Continues through Dec. 23, 2007