Inhabiting Bodies and Territories

Abstract

This project explores the dynamic interplay between space, time, and body in the Darién Gap in Panama, a dangerous transit territory for migrants journeying to North America. As a significant departure from everyday landscapes, here, migrants' interactions with the territory are intensified, where many face death before reaching their destination. In 2023 alone, 141 known deaths were reported, a figure that likely underrepresents the true toll due to the significant challenges in recovering bodies.

Addressing the need for a dignified end, the project proposes a living memorial through three stages: homemaking, housekeeping, and memorialization. Homemaking involves migrants performing burial rituals—collecting, washing, digging, burying, and marking—as a comforting farewell to the deceased, creating a permanent resting "home" in the territory. Housekeeping entails border patrols documenting and maintaining these sites, using a rope system to track burial sequences, tree growth, and body decomposition. Memorialization integrates the deceased and their grave markers into the territory's natural cycle, forming a living tribute that evolves over time.

Through the accumulation of countless journeys, the memorial illustrates the profound impact of migrants as agents of change in the built environment. It serves as a model for architectural responses to shared tragedies, offering relevance extending beyond Panama.