Palas por pistolas (pxp)

ORIGINAL: palas por pistolas

PXP is a campaign to curb the trade of small weapons . We organized a voluntary weapon donation in Culiacán, a city in western Mexico, where 1527 guns were melted and made into 1527 shovels to plant 1527 trees. Currently we are working to replicate the project in more cities. This website is an archive of our story and tree plantings. 

Palas por Pistolas initiated in the city of Culiacán, a city in western Mexico with a high rate of deaths by gunshot. The botanical garden of Culiacán has been comissioning artist to do interventions in the park and my proposal was to work in the larger scale of the city and organize a campaign for voluntary donation of weapons. Several television ads were prepared by the local TV station inviting citizens to give up a were gun and exchange for a coupon. Those coupons could be traded in a local store in exchanges for domestic appliances and electronics.

1527 weapons were collected. 40% of them were high power automatic weapons of exclusive military use. These weapons were taken to a military zone they were crushed by a steamroller in a public act.

The pieces were then taken to a foundry and melted. The metal was sent to a major hardware factory to produce the same number 1527 shovels. The tools were made under specifications such as a handle with a legend telling the story.

1,527 armas fueron recolectadas. El 40% de éstas son de uso militar exclusivamente, fueron aplastadas por una apisonadora en un acto público.

Las piezas fueron llevadas a un taller de fundición donde se fundieron. El metal resultante fue enviado a una importante fábrica donde se produjeron el mismo número de armas recolectadas, es decir, se obtuvieron 1.527 palas. Las herramientas se crearon bajo especificaciones como mangos con la leyenda de esta historia.