Tijuana, the city located on the border of the U.S. and Mexico. Many Mexicans are not allowed to enter the U.S. and American government is strictly controlling illegal immigration. Not only Mexicans but also people from various countries who wish to go to the U.S. gather in Tijuana.
A family lives in an area called LIBERTAD located by the border in Tijuana. They live in a slum and their self-built house stands by the wall, incorporating the border wall as a part of their own property. There is a big tree in their garden, which stands out in the neighborhood. In July 2016, Chim↑Pom has built U.S.A. Visitor Center, a tree house for the people who are living right there in front of the U.S. but unable to enter the country. A coyote fur, a five-dollar bill with Lincoln’s portrait on (There is a huge statue of Abraham Lincoln who criticized America’s aggressive war against Mexico in Tijuana) and other things are on display in the center.
The origin of tree house is in the tropical rain forest of Indonesia and South and Central America, and it is said that it was built for the purpose to watch enemies. Now, the tree houses became as antitheses to material civilization and a symbol of the freedom in the U.S.
Facing the observation tower on the American side in front, this tree house looking down the border wall questions “What is America? What is border?” and will become a place for local children who are not able to enter the U.S.
