Jorge Cruz came to the US from Mexico City at the age of five after the death of his grandmother and caretaker, and began street vending when he was 11. In 2023, Cruz participated in Ruben Ochoa’s installation at Frieze LA, selling fruit to peckish fairgoers. Ochoa views these culinary activations as a form of support and advocacy for street vendors and a way to showcase the critical yet undervalued role they play in LA’s cultural and financial economy. “ I support Jorge Cruz as a person and a small business owner, and in doing so, I support my city.”Jorge Cruz at Frieze LA with his son in February 2023. ‘We have an order of arrest for Jorge Cruz,’ they said,” Carmen told Hyperallergic, recounting the incident.