Non-Place

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I have been developing a project about the lack of mobility within the city of Monterrey, where I was born, raised, and continue to live. It is a subject that runs through me, and it often feels as though anger effortlessly drives me to create and continue documenting. 

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
Throughout the visual and narrative development of the project, I have learned to appreciate how public transportation provides a kind of “non-place,” where a certain renunciation of identity is simulated and only waiting is experienced. Like a small spark within a wearing abyss. 

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
I feel overwhelmed by frustration, anger, and helplessness. Sometimes I think this becomes a motivating force that pushes me to keep going and try to give visibility—even if only to a small group of people.   

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
More than a conversation, I had the opportunity to take part in two workshops at the Casa de la Cultura de Nuevo León, where I was able to develop tools and receive the guidance and teaching of three incredible women: “Capturing What We Inhabit” with Kassandra Pérez Tello and Alejandra Sobrevilla, and “Visual Narratives” with Elizabeth Trejo. This training helped not only to shape and make an idea tangible, but also to learn how to communicate more clearly the message I wanted to convey. 

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
One of the most complicated aspects of my creative process is a loop that seems to depend on all of its parts. Mainly, the lack of time to dedicate to what I want to do due to a job from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also, the financial investment required to work with analog photography can sometimes limit creation, so I end up funding it through a job that does not allow me to have as much time as I would like.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
When it comes to food, I tend to have temporary fixations on simple “dishes.” I love the avocado toast at Amoba and the green chilaquiles at Chilaquería. However, I’m a big coffee fan, and my favorite places to have an iced or hot latte are Unamuno and Sacramento Café.

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.
I love “Mirtazapine,” from Hayley Williams’ latest solo album, because of the way she conveys emotion with the vocal strength that characterizes her. I’m a big fan of Paramore, especially their latest album, This Is Why+, in which the band allows their political and social ideology to filter into the songs, showing that art can also be a form of protest. Likewise, Feng Suave, with their song “Toking, Dozing,” uses the music video to complement its message about the global situation.