Zoe Leonard: Al río / To the River

This two-volume project documents the body of water at the US/Mexico border in a photography series and an anthology of writingsZoe Leonard (born 1961) is among the most influential artists of her generation. Her work merges photography, sculpture and installation, balancing rigorous conceptualism with a distinctly personal vision. Al río / To the River, initiated in 2016, is a photographic project of epic scale addressing the more than 1,000 miles of river boundary shared by the United States and Mexico. Leonard approaches the river, known as Río Bravo in Mexico and Rio Grande in the United States, as a multifaceted leitmotif in which cultural, ecological, historical, social, political and economic concerns intersect. Published in two volumes, the first features Leonard's photographs, while the second, edited by Tim Johnson, brings together written contributions from a remarkable group of international artists, journalists, poets and scholars. Conceived as an alternate form of circulation for the work, the publication also provides an interdisciplinary reference for people interested in the river, environmental issues, borderlands culture and contemporary border issues.