An earthquake in Mexico City in 1985 reduced much of the Roma neighborhood to rubble, the remaining structures largely empty even now because of their unsafe condition.

“Everywhere there are people living on the street while houses stand empty,” says Spanish artist Aïda Gómez, “This is something I cannot understand. I believe that we are doing something wrong here.”

During her art residency in the neighborhood at Huerto Roma Verde at the end of last year, Gómez decided to draw attention to the housing problem in the public sphere using her education in sculpting at Kunsthochschule Weißensee in Berlin; She built a series of multispecies houses that serve to provide shelter from the elements.

“I decided to build some shelters for the squirrels, birds, and insects that inhabit the garden. This way they can protect themselves from the cold, the rain, or raise their babies.”

The miniature structures mimic closely the architecture nearby yet can actually be used as shelter. Her hope is that she can begin a conversation about the possibility of rebuilding badly needed housing for humans as well.

238

138

45