An art piece is worth "34,000 Pillows"

Beyond Chicago, Social Justice, Winter 2016

An art piece is worth “34,000 Pillows”

January 27, 2016

By Vishakha Darbha

Alejandro Figueredo Diaz-Perera watched over the makeshift sewing studio at Soul Asylum, an art exhibition focusing on immigrant stories of struggle.

Perera is one half of an artist duo, with Cara Megan Lewis. Together, they call themselves Diaz Lewis. At Soul Asylum, their interactive artwork is titled “34,000 Pillows,” inspired by the 2007 congressional mandate that states that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) must maintain a quota of 34,000 detained immigrants per day in 250 centers around the country. “34,000 Pillows” is an on-going project, made by old clothes often donated by former detainees. The studio at Soul Asylum also allows visitors to contribute to the pillow-making process.

The exhibition opened on January 22 and will continue until March 26. It is being held at Weinberg/Newton gallery, previously known as David Weinberg Photography, in collaboration with Human Rights Watch. Other artists in the exhibit include The Albany Park Theatre Project, Jenny Polak and Tania Bruguera.

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Artist Alejandro Figueredo Diaz-Perera, in collaboration with Cara Megan Lewis, explains the inspiration behind his interactive artwork “34,000 Pillows” (Vishakha Darbha/MEDILL)

Photo on Top: Artist Alejandro Figueredo Diaz-Perera stitches a pillow, part of his on-going project “34,000 Pillows.” (Vishakha Darbha/MEDILL)