Artist melts guns to make shovels

Mexico – The city of Culiacán in western Mexico has the highest rate of gun deaths in the country. After speaking with the families of local drug-crime victims, artist Pedro Reyes and the city’s botanical garden launched a campaign which called on residents to hand over their guns in exchange for a coupon that could be used to buy electronics or household appliances.

The 1527 guns amassed in the Palas por Pistolas project were melted down and transformed into exactly the same number of shovel heads which are now being used to plant trees in the community. The collected weapons – 40% of which were automatics of military calibre – were taken to a military base and publicly crushed using a steamroller. They were then melted and converted into shovels with wooden handles that tell the story of the project. These were then distributed to art institutions and schools where at least 1527 trees are being planted.

www.palasporpistolas.org