The MexiCali Biennial & the MXCL BNL LAB present PARA/normal Borders Lab, a series of exhibitions and programs which aim to identify the combined regions of California and Mexico as a supernatural zone, operating outside of what is viewed as “normal” or “natural”. The collective programs focus on the borderlands as a thin place – a concept defined as a site where the veil between this world and another is porous. This viewpoint relates to the border not only through its physical liminal space but also as a locale for paranormal experiences. In this thin place, one can walk between worlds, converse with ancestors, and connect to the landscape in ways impossible in other places. 

This two-year research initiative invites artists, culture bearers, humanities experts and local participants to engage in conversations through a series of exhibitions, salon style gatherings, oral histories, and community workshops, with the aim to collect a better understanding of our “borders” both real and metaphoric