What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
In two multidisciplinary projects:
Hive
It is a project that consists of the research and collection of information related to the beekeeping activity that my father has been doing since he was 17 years old (he is now 71) in the municipality of Allende, Nuevo León.
Concerned with the possibility of abandoning this practice due to the weariness of the years and the impact of the violent times in the region, I began a process of reflection and recovery of my own and my family's memories, simultaneously questioning whether it was my turn to take up the mantle of caring for and harvesting honey. Walking among the bees, I accompanied my father on his field explorations; I delved into the family album, rescuing photographs of our early work in beekeeping, and through writing, I recovered anecdotes from the memories of my parents and sisters.
I would like to expand this project to include beekeepers in the region who are no longer active, recording their memories, documenting their spaces, and, if possible, their hives. This would create an audiovisual archive of the great generation of beekeepers that Allende produced.
The grafted
It is a photographic record, collage and research project that began with the myth that in Allende (where I am originally from) “there are many güeros and güeras” and “we are all cousins”.
There are certain phenotypes that resonate within the region's population, such as their "güeréz," which encompasses not only blond people but also those with very fair or dark complexions, colored eyes, and light or brown hair. For this reason, I began the project by portraying "güeras and güeros" from Allende, among whom are many of my relatives.
My paternal grandfather was a nurseryman his entire life, both in the city and throughout the state. I learned to graft avocado trees from him. I grew up seeing their physical transformations through the white-background photographs on his work IDs. This is how the white-background photographic archive I've been building has led me to highlight, through collage, the grafting that the community itself has done. The people portrayed appear to be blood relatives, even though they are not, but upon delving into their family trees, "we are all cousins." This has led me to reflect on the social grafting that has occurred since the arrival of the Spanish-Jewish-Sephardic people to the town. For over 172 years, the families of Allende have, in some way, decided who continues, or does not, the genetic, social, and cultural heritage of the community.
Furthermore, in 1859 the first birth certificate in the country was signed, it was registered in Allende, it was the certificate of a girl surnamed Tamez, could she be my great-grandmother?
We have all been grafted, in Allende we are all guerxs.
What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
I understood that history belongs to the one who tells it; reflecting on this has made me question things and see them differently.
What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
Family, feminism, social projects and kindness.
Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
Conversations with my dad about his life walking with the bees and with my mom about her great power to connect families and family trees in my town.
What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
Give myself time to rest and let some ideas settle.
What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
Chetito, the tuna toast is top-notch.
If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
“My mother’s garden.” The soundtrack will be done by my niece Roxana, who is a clarinetist.
Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
Sara Meneses, she is a photographer. I find her work very beautiful and powerful, patient and critical. She contemplates her roots from a very poetic and mystical perspective. She works with the land and denounces injustices from what is most sacred to her: nature, her family's heritage, and her place of origin.
