Pubic landscape intervention with a giant rubber ball, ink,
and rope, in the El Salado estuary in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. The usual visual
rest during the crossing of El Salado Bridge was interrupted for a few days by
a giant beach ball, that balances and spins, plastically and shiny, floating on the
current. In black ink a text covers one of its faces, claiming “Please never come
back” (Por favor no vuelvas nunca). The beach ball, an icon of the touristic
entertainment, along with the antagonistic phrase that ironizes the conventional
“Please come back soon”, make reference to the touristic phenomena in Puerto
Vallarta. It is a provocation, a discomfort. A plastic sphere invades the place
where the eyes of the hotel employees and children rest, hoping to glimpse
an egret, an iguana or a crocodile, instead of beach beds, advertising signs
or forbidden golf courts. The touristic economy embraces us whole, dividing
territories to segregate the visitors with dollars from the locals without pesos;
it speculates so much about its own growth, that leads to the construction of
hotels, clubs, condos, and luxury homes only for those who don’t live here.
Puerto Vallarta is growing exponentially, without planning, and violating the
construction regulations. While the natives are fully dedicated to serve the
visitors, keeping them happy and alienated, close to the beach and far from the
damaged streets, to keep that growth going, without seeing any fruits. We are
bothered by a ball floating a few days, asking us not to come back, why aren’t
we bothered with the real destruction of the landscape?
