Best Left Behind Us - Unus Mundus Project

Synchronizing Art, Travel and Exchange.

Synchronizing Art, Travel and Exchange.

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Ruins of Ruins

Category : photography

a decay study of historic spaces with a tainted past

unusmundusproject

ＳＹＮＣＨＲ♢ＮＩＺＩＮＧ．
Λｒｔ•Ｔｒａｖｅｌ•Σｘｃｈａｎｇｅ
⭐️
𝙄’𝙢 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 🏍 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 🌎 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙄 𝙜𝙤.
📍: Honduras 🇭🇳
𝘍𝘖𝘙𝘈𝘙𝘛𝘖𝘕𝘓𝘠: @thingsovertime

Before I left Honduras, even with how heavy my lif

Before I left Honduras, even with how heavy my life felt then, I finished what I started; my first sculptural mural, the Vega Prism!

So much was going on with me emotionally and physically at the end of the project I didn’t really have time to tell the full story so Ill take a few posts to do that and share some nice moments I had with @vegacommunityhonduras who supported me through it all.

Without them and without this project, I’m not sure where I would be right now.

📸: @alice.buenonatto

#unusmundusproject
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#honduras #sanpedrosula #sps #sculpture #mural #residentartist #artistresidency #metalart #metalwork #muralart #sculpturalmural #linework #womenartists #makersgonnamake #femalefabricators #prism #lightpainting #womenwhoweld #metalfab #largescaleart #sitespecificart #rainbow #cacaofarm #cacao #travelingartist

LOVE WINS! 🌈❤️ Even when the bastards try a

LOVE WINS! 🌈❤️
Even when the bastards try and bring us down.
Despite the horrendous atrocities committed this week and throughout history against the lives of women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.
Through this great adversity we will find a way and rise above as we have always done and always will.
No matter the barriers, no matter the hate, no matter the ignorance….
LOVE WINS ALWAYS!
ALL COLORS!
ALL SHAPES!
ALL SIZES!
ALL FLAVORS!

I LOVE YOU!
HAPPY PRIDE!
🌈🌞💋

#unusmundusproject
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#pride #lgbtq #sfpride #sanfrancisco #lovewins #fightforlove #sf #rainbow #pridemonth #pridesf #womensrights #lgbtqrights #fuckthepatriarchy #womenempowerment #lgbtcommunity #lovealways #humanrights #freelove

Feeling free, feeling happy, feeling light! Left H

Feeling free, feeling happy, feeling light!
Left Honduras and went straight to San Francisco. I’ll be here for a few weeks then I’ll be bouncing around the country to pursue some opportunities.

Such a big change I made! I’m proud of myself. Embracing change, tuning in to what I need and not being driven by what I want, expanding the possibilities of my dreams, thinking bigger… what a beautiful shift of perspective.

I am made of adventure. It is a fixture of my soul, no loss of anything can remove it. Not even the Phoenix.

I am not my bike. I am more.
And my journey to go around the world will continue, in new forms, with new challenges and as a healthy, more balanced self.

So excited for what all this new light will bring.
We have one life, don’t live it for others.
You have nothing to prove.

Be here NOW!

#unusmundusproject
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#change #psychonaut #love #lettinggo #loveyourself #beherenow #sf #traveltheworld #mystory #storytelling #adventurer #alwaysexploring #dreambig #flow #sunset #womenempowerment #powerfulwomen #ramdass

Today I did something I thought I would never do.

Today I did something I thought I would never do. I let go of The Phoenix.

I transferred ownership of my bike to my friend @gabo_aguilar86 here in Honduras and removed my Pennsylvania plate. I sat on her familiar throne and wept, surrendering in a way I never have… not knowing when I will have Her back.

These past 6 months since returning to my bike were exceptionally difficult. I experienced some truly traumatic events that cut deep into my soul. So much went wrong. I am leaving with more injuries and in more pain then I came here with. What was once my greatest freedom turned into something of a burden. And that’s not the type of adventure I want to live.

Learning to let go is one of the most important things in life and the universe challenged me with one of the most difficult it could muster… letting go of The Phoenix.

Since being back, I feel like I was barely able to start riding again, I feel defeated. There has been so much struggle it is impossible for me not to perceive it as a cosmic message. It has challenged my mind, my identity, an examination of my life, my dreams, an assessment of my body and a mourning for a life once lived.

It is painful.
But I cannot lie to myself.
It is not safe to ride with my injuries or the fear that now resides in my mind from all the trauma. I am utterly exhausted from these past months. So I must put aside this thing I love with all my heart and allow my life to take a different form.

She is my Phoenix so I know She will return to me again one day but only after I have let myself fully heal and let myself grow in the ways I believe the universe is desperately trying to lead me. I put my trust in this, that the universe has something even more grand than I can imagine in store for me and it is through this surrendering that I will see it.

This time I will not look back and yearn for what I cannot have like I did when the pandemic separated me from my bike. I will instead stay open, stay curious and step fully into the mystery of what I am meant to become.

Today is the summer solstice, a fitting pivot point.

I will miss you my Phoenix,
your fire will always be within me.
Until I see you again my love. 🔥❤️

Dear Jens, Your loss from this world is felt in th

Dear Jens,
Your loss from this world is felt in the hearts of so many; mine breaks for you my friend. I am so grateful that we meet those many years ago @horizonsunlimited_com . And getting to hang out in San Francisco and Berlin with you were times I’ll never forget.

You were an inspiration to me from the very beginning with your stories of travel and the life you lived. Your round the world moto trip that you waited 20 years to take, not a small commitment, was not only courageous but has touched the lives of so many.

You always had a special magic to you, a light that shone from your soul with the ability to disarm those you were with. You always were incredibly sweet and kind, getting people to open up and laugh and filling the world with an energy so very unique.

Over the years I have loved our conversations and connections, sending kind notes of encouragement and positivity to each other, sharing stories of struggle and of joy, you helped me through some really difficult places with your wise words and empathetic spirit.

I’m sorry I didn’t get to Germany fast enough to take that moto trip with you! But I promise when I get back to Germany I will make a motorcycle trip in your memory.

You are an example to so many of how to live life from the depths of your being and stay true to your dreams and yourself. You will live on in the hearts of us all and will continue far after in the ripples you made during your life in this universe.

Tonight I will light a bonfire for you and drink some German beers together with my friends here in Honduras. We will toast to you and all the love you gave this life. I hope that last ride on Earth was a great one! I have no doubt you are already riding the winds of the universe now. I’ll see you there one day!

Sending love to you always!
Thank you for everything!
I will miss you!

Love,
Chelsea

Honduras, Spain, Italy, Germany. I gave welding le

Honduras, Spain, Italy, Germany.
I gave welding lessons this week to four badass women, one for each of these countries.
Then they welded a seam on the Prism frame @vegacommunityhonduras
Putting the fire back in the hands of the women of the world, damn right!

Women make up only 5% of the welder workforce in the world! And here in Honduras it is probably around 0% so hell yea @ali.greenlove , keep it up! Tal vez deberías hacer un club, Las Mujeres del Fuego? 🇭🇳🔥😜

5% is a disappointing amount and there is no reason it should be that way. We can do any job a man can do, no matter the bullshit stereotypes. It is a personal goal of mine as a female metalworker and fabricator to get more women melting metal and building rad shit. And with each project I do I move that goal forward!

My Grandma always tells me I should be a teacher but I guess I just took the fabricator route as an artist as opposed to a teacher. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it cus I do, it just wasn’t my path. Perhaps one day it will play a greater role.

I will say though, putting a welder or a torch in a ladies hands, teaching them the basics, then setting them free; brings me pure joy. Watching the fire come to life in their eyes is something incomparable to a fabrication job. I remember that feeling, the first time I harnessed the power of the sun at my fingertips. I remember the passion it ignited in me the first time so to see that reflection in their eyes is indescribable.

Women teaching women welding is a powerful thing. It was an honor to show you ladies how it’s done! I hope you find ways to throw more sparks 💥 Also you all looked hella fly in my Smurf welding suit 🙌 @ali.greenlove @rebecog @veronicapolia @annina.sp ❤️‍🔥

Remember people:
Skills are meant to be shared, not possessed!
Knowledge is power so let’s make sure to spread it around.

#unusmundusproject
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#honduras #womenwhoweld #femalefabricators #womenwelders #womenteachingwomen #artistresidency #womensupportingwomen #womenempowerment #femaleartist #fuego #badasswoman #youcandoit #fuckthepatriarchy #storytelling #breakthestigma #pushingboundaries #lovewhatyoudo #travelingartist #procycle @procycle.us

When I was designing this mural I was not thinking

When I was designing this mural I was not thinking about paint.
I was imagining glass.

Layers of transparent colored glass panels overlapping to create a variety of color shades. Three dimensional, mounted off the wall in layers… think of the colored light that would have painted the building and the contrast made from the solid metal bar that would break up the spectrum with its dark shadow. If there had been the money, this is how I would have built this mural.

One day when I have budgets available to me to realize some of the crazier ideas I have rolling around in my head, things like that will become real.

It will happen; each project, each day, each application I submit and grant I apply for… I move closer to those dreams. But for now, I use what I have available to me. And even though it is not the glass I imagined, it is still beautiful.

Today I am welding the diagonals for the frame and will begin to weld the steel lines into place this weekend. This will cover parts of the mural so before I do that, here are completed photos of each side.

#unusmundusproject
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#honduras #sanpedrosula #artistresidency #largescaleart #sitespecificart #muralart #mural #cacaofarm #spectrum #rainbow #cacao #prism #dreams #doityourself #artproject #femaleartist #travelingartist #storytelling #artistsoninstagram #artistprocess #metalworker #womenwhoweld #makersgonnamake #dreambig #keepgoing #artprocess #lightart #lightspectrum #womenartists @vegacommunityhonduras

Frame is going up slowly. It’s been raining a lo

Frame is going up slowly.
It’s been raining a lot so that sort of messes up outdoor welding.
Also I just feel exhausted all the time here, the heat in San Pedro Sula is outrageous and it takes a lot out of me.

I’m not good in the heat. Seriously gotta get out of these hot tropical environments and start getting projects in more cooler climates.

I mean what the hell, its like 95 degrees out here with 90% humidity and ravenous mosquitos, I have to wear my Smurf coverall welders suit, leather gloves, leather boots and a helmet full of dreadlocks… while hot metal rains down on me.

But hey! My mini lunchbox welder is killing it and the frame is looking sweet. Got the uprights welded in place today which aren’t in this photo but you’ll see it later this week when it’s done. Maybe tomorrow if it doesn’t rain!

#unusmundusproject
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#honduras #womenshoweld #mural #sculpturalmural #muralart #travelingartist #womenartist #artistresidency #residency #cacaofarm #buildityourself #femalefabricators #femaleartist #weldlife #sculpture #metalworking #metalart #largescaleart #sitespecificart #travelingartist #womenwelders #stickwelding #centralamerica @vegacommunityhonduras

Thankful for all those who participated in the cre

Thankful for all those who participated in the creation of the Vega Prism mural!

I’ve always been attracted to large scale works in my artistic practice and I’d say that one of the main reasons is because of the people.

Large scale works give me the opportunity to involve others, teach others and share in the joy of its creation together. Most of the time the most memorable part of the work for me, is not the completed piece. It is the process it took and the relationships that were created from that process that I cherish the most.

This project is the first of its kind for me but the value it holds and the exchange it created between everyone involved holds the same joyous energy as the other large scale projects I have done.

Such a fun weekend it was and it wouldn’t have been possible without all of these amazing people! 🙏 Gracias @vegacommunityhonduras ❤️

#unusmundusproject
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#honduras #travelingartist #communityproject #communitymural #muralart #muralpainting #mural #largescaleart #sitespecificart #buildtogether #doittogether #makingart #cacaofarm #sanpedrosula #graditude #memories #storytelling #friends #process

This weekend two of my good friends here @vegacomm

This weekend two of my good friends here @vegacommunityhonduras left to continue their adventures in other parts of the world.

You meet a ton of people living on the road and each person brings different things into your life. Some are short lived, while other have a lasting effect on your life. I can say for sure that Annina and Dani fall into the latter.

They are incredibly unique and inspiring individuals. Passionate about what they do, while at the same time open to exploring new avenues and skills with an free mind. They look you in the eye when they talk to you and aren’t afraid to challenge your ideas.

@annina.sp @dani_1d2b I am so grateful to have met you both and for all the range of emotions we went through together. All the meals we made, laughs we had, games we played, tears we shed, work we did and stories we shared. Oh and all the amazing German music I now listen too because of you! 🙌 I am excited for your next adventures and look forward to seeing all the magic you both will go on creating in your lives and the lives of those who are fortunate enough to meet you. Thank you for everything!

Also, never in my life have I seen so much bread made in such a short time, those Germans really love their bread! And the last night together was no exception.

Those strange things we are cooking on the fire are called Stockbrot or Knüppelkuchen but we appropriately renamed them “dickbreads”. 🍆🍞🥖

Basically the idea is someone makes some bread, this particular night Annina made a delicious batch which had onion and tomato and spices, and you wrap it around a stick, cook it and eat it. Think German s’mores! Sometimes they are sweet and you roll the bread in butter and sugar. So many options!

But yes very phallic, you naughty Germans 😈
Just know Annina and Dani that every time I make my own dickbread, I will be thinking of you both and smiling as I munch away.

I’ll see you both again somewhere in the world.
Ich liebe dich!
❤️

#unusmundusproject
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#honduras #travelfriends #coliving #traveltheworld #friendsfromtheroad #storytelling #dickbread #stockbrot #passion #goodfriends #lastingfriendships #germany #germans #deutschland #memories

I am fire but I am also water. Welded up the brac

I am fire but I am also water.

Welded up the brackets on Wednesday, drilled the holes for mounting and began finishing them but recognized I was tired and my hand was slipping so I stopped.

Then took a moment to be grateful for my improved act of self-preservation.

I’ll finish them today, paint and mount them then begin cutting, fitting and welding the prism frame into place.

#unusmundusproject
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@vegacommunityhonduras #honduras #womenwhoweld #largescaleart #femalefabricator #travelingartist

I am strong but I am also weak. I am proud but I

I am strong but I am also weak.

I am proud but I am also insecure.

I am brave but I am also scared.

I am driven but I am also stubborn.

I am trying my best but I am making excuses.

I am focused but I am not always fluid.

I am sensitive but I am also harsh.

I am giving but I am also selfish.

I am patient but I am running.

I am hard on myself… that has no but.

I am tired of chronic pain.

Please heal.

No Chelsea… it is you who must let yourself heal.

Life is a conversation between poles;
sometimes words get lost,
sometimes the point is missed.
But is within the gradient that great wisdom can be found,
don’t let it become battle.

#unusmundusproject

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