The Burque Cares Movement
Art as Social Protest
The Burque Cares movement was launched by New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence (NMPGV) on November 4, 2023, in order to address the gun violence epidemic in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the United States.
Burque Cares uses art as a catalyst for action through Augmented Reality (AR) murals. These murals combine visual, literary and computer arts to communicate a message about cultivating justice, non-violence and prevention. The transformative AR experience is visual, and audible; but, most importantly, it is symbolic of our collective advocacy for substantive change.
Since 2016, NMPGV has facilitated and funded thirteen, youth-driven, gun violence prevention murals throughout New Mexico. Click here to learn more about our mural program.
Why A Mural? Art As Social Protest
Gun violence is having devastating consequences in our communities. It is tragically starting to define who we are as a city, state and country. The Burque Cares mural movement empowers people to take collaborative action; with art as their vehicle. The mural holds a space for people to challenge political authority when it listens more to the needs of the NRA and corporate gun lobby than it does to the voices of the people. This is a space for us to come together and question the dogmatic ideologies that so often surround gun rights and gun ownership. In this unique opening, provided by the arts, there is a profound opportunity to demand social justice for an issue that affects our well-being and safety every day.
Why AR? Art as Action
Gun violence is a multi-faceted problem that demands a multi-pronged approach. By utilizing AR in the mural, more information can be disseminated to a broader public. Augmented reality murals use what are called “computer vision image tracking capabilities” to launch interactive and immersive digital experiences on top of the physical artwork. The AR experience in this mural generates a platform that informs the public about available resources and services in the area. These include, food pantries, mental health support and substance abuse services; as extensive research reveals a direct correlation between those needs and gun violence. The mural also incorporates an educational component. Viewers are challenged to acknowledge the very real crisis on our streets and in our communities as each face on the mural fades into a ribbon of names of people in Albuquerque whom we have lost to gun violence. As hundreds of names scroll across the screens on our phones, we are reminded that gun violence does not discriminate and that inaction has dire consequences.
