QUE SIGNIFICA...

By archiving recorded whistles and portraits of whistlers I hope to address the following questions:  How is whistling a creative pursuit and what are the performance elements seen in this style of communication? What are ways to elevate quotidian moments, such as whistling, to an art form? How can this process successfully provoke dialogue and interaction between strangers of various backgrounds?

I hope that my project will serve as a way to increase awareness of a cultural phenomenon unknown to many outside of Latin America, and frequently overlooked by the very people who practice it daily.

During my residency in Mexico, three years ago, I heard a variety of whistling tones and cadences, examples include: calling between male friends in Mazatlan, a police officer directing traffic in Guadalajara, a mother calling her children and street market vendors in Mexico City using "chiflidos" to call attention to their wares.