One of the things that interests me about Pedro Reyes is his use of play to engage with utopian ideas about social change. Disarm is one of a number of works in which he has taken guns that were used in the narco wars in Mexico and transformed them into more useful objects.
In one work, he melted down the weapons to cast them into shovels that were then used to plant trees, but what can be more utopian or playful than turning guns into musical instruments?
It is fascinating to watch these weapons operate in ways far from their original lethal purpose, but the music they play does not necessarily invite peaceful reflection. They may also be calling us to action.
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