Weapons result in devastating consequences. Culiacán, Mexico, is a good example of this because the city has the highest death rate in the nation due to firearms. Which is why Mexican artist, Pedro Reyes, has set to reverse this deathly cycle. The artist demonstrates how an agent of death can be transformed into an agent of life.

Perspective Is Everything

Reyes, an artist from Mexico City, likes to focus on the failures of modern culture from a positive perspective rather than negative. He actually doesn’t believe in “failure.” Reyes’ definition of “failure” is merely the result of a certain perspective.

Weapon Exchange

As for weapons, Reyes decided to transform this deadly material into something positive. He began a campaign for the Palas por Pistolas (shovels from pistols) project, asking residents to hand in their weapons in exchange for a coupon that could be used to buy electronic devices or appliances.

Reyes successfully collected 1,527 guns which were then sent to a military base and publicly crushed with a steamroller, melted and transformed into 1,527 shovelheads.

Shovels To Plant Trees

The newly transformed shovels were then distributed around Mexico from art institutes to public schools, where the people of the community are using them to plant trees. Some of the shovels even made it all the way to Vancouver Art Gallery, the San Francisco Art Institute, the Maison Rouge in Paris and other places around the world.

Creating Life

From a gun that exists solely to take life, a shovel was born. Now that shovel exists solely for the purpose of planting trees and creating life. Pedro teaches us that all we have to do is change our perspective and we can transform bad things into good.

Pedro Reyes has also turned guns into musical instruments. Click here to see more.