Hostile Terrain 94 at Moscow Contemporary

Co-sponsored by the Center for Arts and Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, and the Office of the Provost at WSU, Hostile Terrain 94 is an interactive exhibition comprised of approximately 3,800 handwritten toe tags representing migrants who died trying to cross the Sonoran Desert in Arizona between the mid-1990s and 2019. The physical act of writing out the names and information for the dead invites participants to reflect, witness and stand in solidarity with those who have lost their lives in search of a better one.

As the installation of this project progresses at the Schnitzer Museum in January-March 2023, the toe tags will be filled out by members of our local community. Moscow Contemporary is collaborating with the WSU Hostile Terrain 94 team to reach community members in and around Moscow. The workshops at MosCo on 1/21/23 and 2/25/23 are an opportunity for interested parties to experience the participatory nature of the project by filling out tags, listening to a brief presentation, and reflecting on emotions related to and implications of the exhibition.

Prior to your arrival, please review the summary and resources online. Megan Mack may be emailed with questions related to this workshop opportunity: artsed@moscowcontemporary.org. Space is limited, please arrive on time.

Additional workshops and activities for January, February, and March 2023 will be announced on WSU’s Hostile Terrain site. Our community’s engagement with Hostile Terrain 94 will culminate March 2, 2023, when HT94 founder and anthropologist Jason De León visits the WSU Pullman campus for a series of programs and events.