This Participatory Public Art piece is inspired by a Brazilian custom, where people of all ages, backgrounds, religious beliefs, and nationalities come to the historical Church of Senhor do Bonfim in Salvador, Bahia, and tie a ribbon representing a wish on the fence surrounding the premises. Transcending Borders features over 2,000 brightly colored ribbons featuring the phrase YOU ARE WELCOME HERE in several languages commonly spoken by immigrant populations of greater Boston. The public is invited to take a ribbon and engage with the piece through a QR code and a mailbox, allowing participants to share stories about immigration. The AR integration leads to organizations that support immigrant and refugee rights. 

How do we define immigrants? Historically mostly everyone in America is an immigrant or from an immigrant family. It’s important to contextualize the arrival of the British settler-colonists as early immigrants. How many generations have you or your family lived in America?