Discussions around geopolitical borders and border processes have resurfaced amid precarious global issues such as migration crises, terrorism, global pandemics, the negative consequences of globalization, rising nationalist sentiments, climate change, and armed conflicts. Initially, borders were viewed primarily as rigid divisions between two or more geopolitical entities. Over time, however, scholars have broadened their focus beyond static geopolitical boundaries to include the dynamic processes of “bordering” and the diverse practices and experiences of the people involved.
Researchers studying borders have widened the scope even further, adopting a more inclusive and metaphorical approach that takes into account a wide range of incidents and experiences related to securitization, inequality, demarcation, and separation. These days, it’s said that borders, whether they are apparent or not, “are everywhere.” As a result, border studies have become truly multidisciplinary endeavors, engaging scholars from sociology, anthropology, sociolinguistics, urban planning, cultural studies, tourism research, political science, and many other fields, with each discipline contributing to a more diverse understanding of the idea and concrete manifestations of borders and boundaries.
Most phenomena we think of as borders or boundaries have both material and immaterial properties. In addition, they have aspects that are constantly changing and tied to particular people. They may come into play from time to time (like during a pandemic or a conflict) and then disappear again. In a way, we tend to “carry” our borders with us in our passports or even just by the way we look, the language we speak, or by numerous physical or mental traits and conditions.
The concept of borders and boundaries remains a crucial lens for examining a multitude of pivotal processes and phenomena. Currently, borders are regarded as crucial factors in shaping identity, often leading to the formation of clear divisions between “in-groups” and “out-groups.” These aspects of borders, whether physical or abstract, are not limited to geopolitical border regions. They are also evident in diverse cultural contexts and within various interpersonal and collective actions. The impact of borders and boundaries on individuals’ lives is significant, regardless of whether they are visible, subtly present, or completely hidden.
It is important to note that the various aspects of borders and boundaries, and how they are enacted (propagated, installed, enforced, experienced), have numerous visual dimensions. However, while visual methods have the potential to contribute to border studies in both practical and theoretical ways, they have been used sparingly until relatively recently. This broader “aesthetic turn” is all about using visual materials and forms of expression, as well as literary and poetic utterances, to explore border experiences. For more on this, check out the Borders in Globalization website, biglobalization.org.
Visual methods may stimulate more empirically grounded, locally situated, and diversified forms of border research. While visual and digital technologies play a crucial role in the surveillance of behavior and numerous facets of border control, they also allow individuals to document and express their views and experiences via bottom-up communications that can take the form of alternative maps, visual essays, blogs, street art, digital storytelling, or art installations.
It’s a unique challenge to explore the concept of borders through photography. At its core, photography captures a moment in a detailed and indifferent manner. Yet, while photos seem very matter-of-fact, they can also express something beyond the depicted objects. They can represent ideas and encourage different interpretations while remaining somewhat ambiguous and open-ended.
In the following pages, I share my visual preoccupation with different types and conceptualizations of boundaries, borders, and borderlands through a series of images. Most seek to capture various dimensions in both documentary and more expressive styles. As images have the power to support and unsettle dominant border regimes, this series uses metaphor and rhetoric to argue for recognizing the multitude of borders in people’s daily lives—and the need to overcome them.
Uncle Sam in San Diego, California, pointing toward the U.S.-Mexico border. The ongoing crisis at the border between Mexico and the United States involves the migration of undocumented immigrants from Latin America through Mexico. People seek refuge in the United States due to economic struggles, gang violence, and environmental disasters in their home countries. The San Ysidro border crossing, which is heavily guarded by three walls, border patrol agents, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is a key point of entry.
Border Wall, Seen from Tijuana, Mexico, By an Asian Film Crew. The U.S.-Mexico border is known as one of the deadliest land borders in the world. Numerous migrants lose their lives each year while trying to make the dangerous journey across. Tijuana serves as a haven for deportees from the United States, many of whom find themselves without any possessions or sources of income. These individuals are forced to navigate a new city and quickly adjust to make ends meet and survive.
Gorbi Mobil: Two Icons United. An image of Mikhael Gorbachev, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, is displayed on the iconic East German “Trabant” car, a symbol of the stagnant economy of former East Germany. Gorbachev was celebrated in the Western world but later scorned by Russian leaders for his role in the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent demise of the Soviet Union. This stretch of murals on the former Berlin Wall is known as the “East Side Gallery.”
“My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love.” One of the most iconic and photographed artworks on the remains of the Berlin Wall in former East Berlin, Germany, this mural by Dmitri Vrubel is based on a photograph taken by Regis Bossu in 1979. It depicts Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev engaged in a fraternal kiss with the German Democratic Republic’s head of state Erich Honecker. Borders are not only places of securitization, repression, and exclusionary strategies; they can also act at times as sites of transition, locations of cross-cultural interaction, or markers of change.
The “Wailing Wall” in Jerusalem. The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict and its latest unprecedented surge of violence have captured worldwide attention and concern. Central issues in this conflict revolve around Israeli control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the disputed status of Jerusalem, the expansion of Israeli settlements, border disputes, security concerns, access to water resources, restrictions on Palestinian movement, and the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.
Open-air Photo Exhibit in Haifa, Israel. Ever since the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, a mandatory draft to serve in the military for a set period has applied to most male and female Jewish individuals (with some exceptions, like, for example, the ultra-Orthodox Haredi community), as well as male members of the Druze and Circassian communities. The presence of the military is ubiquitous and even ”normalized” in most Israeli cities.
Mural in the Unionist-controlled part of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The impact of the conflict in Northern Ireland, also known as the “Troubles,” on its residents has been profound. The constant threat of bomb attacks, street violence, security checkpoints, and the ongoing military presence have all contributed to a high level of stress. After the ceasefires, negotiations eventually led to the signing of the “Good Friday” Belfast Agreement in 1998, which resulted in the restoration of self-government in Northern Ireland through a system of power-sharing.
Nationalist Commemorative Murals in West Belfast, Northern Ireland. While political violence has significantly decreased since the Good Friday Agreement, there are still deep-seated sectarian tensions. Interestingly, a growing number of immigrants have settled in Northern Ireland; few have aligned themselves with either side of the conflict. The “Peace lines,” large fences erected during the early years of the Troubles, remain in place, serving as a stark reminder of the divided past. Additionally, numerous murals scattered throughout the city vividly depict the dark history of the conflict, creating an often somber and eerie atmosphere.
Street Scene in Manchester, England, a Metaphor for Ethnic Boundaries. The idea of borders in the expanding field of border studies has progressed beyond just geopolitical boundaries to encompass a wide array of situations and events related to the act of defining who is included and who is excluded. Borders and boundaries are viewed as relative, interconnected, and adaptable, carrying various meanings for different individuals.
A London Condominium Reserved for Well-to-do Residents. It is crucial to consider the diverse experiences of bordering, as well as the injustices that arise for certain groups, even if they are not always visible. Shifting away from the traditional focus on nation-states and embracing the idea that borders are constantly present could prove beneficial. However, it is important to acknowledge that stretching the concept too far may water it down.
Footnotes
Luc Pauwels is an emeritus professor of visual sociology and anthropology at the University of Antwerp and president of the Visual Sociology Research Committee of the International Sociological Association.
