How connected are we to the land around us? To say that our physical and mental life is linked to nature is to acknowledge that we are part of something outside of ourselves. In this issue, two artists explore the physical and psychic terrain of the landscape and how their bodies inhabit it.

A border is an imposed line that separates geographic areas into territories. Historically, this act of enforcing national borders has altered the lives of millions—particularly here in what is now called Southern California. But, borders do not only signify the carving up of land for political power, they are enforced in many other forms—culturally, mentally and philosophically. The artists in this issue challenge this phenomenon and make work towards a politic of mobility and freedom.

Just east of the ports in Los Angeles, warehouses and commercial developments are replacing farms in our Inland communities. Much like the Land Rushes at the turn of the century, the newest “grab” in our area means more jeopardies for the Frontline communities who can’t relocate away from the sprawl. How do we return to our agricultural past and work together to protect the land we have left? In this issue, we highlight community gardens as an act of resistance and a return to the values of those who traversed this land before us.

With over a billion square feet of warehouses and highways bustling with trucks, 1 in 6 jobs are related to the Logisitcs industry in San Bernardino.*  The expansion we have seen since the pandemic has grown exponentially and residents feel this impact every day.