Karla García
Artist

Carrito de Memorias was on display at the Dallas Museum of Art in the C3 Connections visiting artist project space from January through May of 2019.

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Carrito de Memorias (“Cart of Memories”) is a project inspired by the food carts commonly found across Mexico. These carts often act as a congregational space where the community can share stories and personal experiences over a meal.

 

In García’s cart, rather than offering food, she provided a menu that invites visitors to reflect on how food preparation and family traditions shape our current understanding of gender. Visitors responded with thoughts on their own cultural traditions through the natural fiber papers provided. These responses were used to create a series of paper mache dinnerware that reflected the public’s collective memories.

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Carrito de Memorias is partially funded by grants from The Onstead Institute and the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts Student Project Award. Construction of the cart was made possible with the equipment provided by University of North Texas’ Fabrication Lab.

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Digital fabrication and traditional processes of making were used to create this cart. The intention was to create a familiar setting that evoked feelings of nostalgia as well as appreciation for the ancient cultures of Mexico. Panels of maple wood were carved with a ShopBot CNC routing machine which were later assembled, sanded, and stained by hand. I repurpused bycicle wheels, a steel pipe for the handle, and corn husks attached to the roof.