Francis Alÿs, ‘Loop’ (1997)
In 1997, Alÿs circumvented the much contested US-Mexico border at Tijuana: using his exhibition fee for an exhibition in San Diego, Alÿs traveled by plane from Tijuana to Mexico City, to Panama City, Santiago, Auckland, Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, Rangoon, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Anchorage, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and finally south to San Diego. Alÿs exposed a loophole in Mexico-US border control through a physical loop on a global scale, but in so doing highlighted the fact that this could only be possible for a privileged few.
