As a part of the greater installation What Else Could We Talk About for the 2009 Venice Biennale, Teresa Margolles’ “Cleaning,” places a janitorial figure at the center of an empty room. Engaging in the simple action of mopping the floor, the man continuously cleans silently as viewers look on and step through the room. The mop, however, is not dipped into a bucket of cleaning solution, but rather contains a mixture of water and blood from Mexico’s deceased. Even more striking is the fact that the victims’ family members perform the act of cleaning.
The viewers who walk past the space risk tracking the diluted blood throughout the space. Furthermore, the act itself serves to be quite the sight. On the surface, the cleaner’s effort appear out of place within a greater art space. The task is being completed in full view of others rather than afterhours. Secondly, it appears as though mopping is endless. This leads the viewer to question, “What is being cleaned?” and “Why won’t the cleaning end?” and “Why won’t the mopping end?” With knowledge of the bucket’s contents, one may being to comprehend the futility of the cleaner’s efforts. Nothing is being cleaned, and instead, blood is being layered onto the floor. The traces of blood illustrate the relentless killings, while the action of mopping provides a jarring embodiment of the families’ struggles.
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