Tania Candiani

The piece is a tribute to Mexican-American folk heroine and activist Modesta Avila. Born in Orange County, California, Avila inherited land from her mother near what would become the Capistrano train station. When construction of the Santa Fe Trail began in front of her property, she demanded $10,000 in compensation. Local sources say she tied a clothesline with her clothing across the track, but other reports say she laid a railroad tie across the tracks and erected a fence post between the rails to which she attached a note of protest that read, “This land belongs to me. And if the railroad wants to come through here, they will have to pay me ten thousand dollars.”

She was eventually dissuaded by the railroad company, but was never properly compensated, and, in part because of her protests against the Santa Fe Trail, she ended up dying of fever in San Quentin Prison, just months shy of serving her full sentence.

Candiani’s installation not only highlights Ávila as a figure of resistance against the railroad company, but also invites us to reflect on the untold historical narratives and injustices suffered by marginalized communities during the railroad expansion in the United States. Through this piece, the aim is to make visible and vindicate the stories of resistance of women like Ávila, highlighting their bravery and the relevance of their actions in the fight for social justice.

The work is part of the exhibition “The Other Side of the Tracks”, which brings together artists from historically excluded communities to offer alternative perspectives on the history of the railroad in the United States.