HUELLAS
Nature's imprint on humanity
-ENG-
Linguist Yásnaya E. Aguilar, a native of Ayutla Mixe in Mexico, states that "humanity is nature," highlighting the profound connection between them. Women, as guardians of the environment, look after ecosystems, biodiversity, and resources while fostering the well-being of their communities. However, defending territory in Mexico is a perilous task. According to the 2023 Global Witness report, Mexico remains one of the three most dangerous countries for environmental defenders, with 54 defenders killed in 2021. Facing other forms of violence, such as gender-based violence (with more than 11 femicides per day in Mexico), makes this mission even more challenging for women. Amid the environmental crisis, it is essential to examine the role of women in the protection of the environment and cultural identity while establishing a link between the degradation of the natural world and the oppression of women. This unique relationship with nature is thus perceived through a unified concept, rooted in emotion and sensitivity.
-ESP-
La lingüista Yásnaya E. Aguilar, originaria de Ayutla Mixe en México, declara que "la humanidad es naturaleza", destacando la profunda conexión que los une. Las mujeres, guardianas del medio ambiente, cuidan los ecosistemas, la biodiversidad y los recursos, mientras fomentan el bienestar de sus comunidades. Sin embargo, defender el territorio en México es una tarea peligrosa. Según el informe de Global Witness de 2023, México sigue siendo uno de los tres países más peligrosos para los defensores del medio ambiente, con 54 defensores asesinados en 2021. Enfrentarse a otras formas de violencia, como la violencia de género (con más de 11 feminicidios por día en México), hace que esta misión sea aún más ardua para las mujeres. En plena crisis ambiental, es esencial examinar el papel de las mujeres en la protección del medio ambiente y la identidad cultural, mientras se establece un vínculo entre la degradación del mundo natural y la opresión de las mujeres. Esta relación única con la naturaleza se percibe entonces a través de un concepto unificado, arraigado en la emoción y la sensibilidad.
Through a decentralized vision, this long-term project, initiated in 2022, aims to map community resistance in Mexico, with indigenous and Afro-descendant women as the protagonists. Their perspectives and non-Western traditions spearhead the fight against industrial megaprojects, mining, and the protection of forests and river water. The project thus explores the deep connection between women and nature, emphasizing the evolution of the female body in an ever-changing environment. It reflects the sensory bond that unites them, seeking to reveal their commitment and resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
-
Built on collaborative projects with the various protagonists, these women directly engage in the construction of the images, in a dynamic of sharing, choosing the elements with which they wish to interact. The goal is to enable them to have real control over their own representation. Through the artistic intervention of photography—by superimposing physical elements onto the photographs—this project aims to merge their actions with the natural elements they interact with.
-
This artistic approach invites deep reflection on our connection with nature through an immersive experience, engaging everyone's senses to feel the texture and physical presence of the depicted environment.
Ahuehuete
-Conservar su identidad-
GABRIELA MORALES
Communidad Lacustre
Xochimilco, Ciudad de México
Gabriella cultivates her Chinampa, a family plot that she inherited from her grandparents in the Xochimilco basin, one of the last wetlands in Mexico City.
With a degree in biology, she wanted to develop her own, more sustainable production methods, based on the traditional agricultural techniques of Xochimilco, with the aim of safeguarding these quasi-floating plots created by the Aztecs in the 14th century. Faced with machismo and urbanisation that is eating away at the chinampas and degrading the quality of the water, she fights back by passing on her knowledge in workshops on chinampera farming practices and in rowing lessons that she gives to the women of her community.
-Investigation with Julien Delacourt -
Sound recording Julien Delacourt
Tichinda- Mejillon
-Conservar su tierra-
MUJERES DEL MANGLAR
Origen Chatinas
Zapotalito, Oaxaca
Since 2018, the cooperative "Mujeres del Manglar" has included among its tasks projects to counteract the environmental deterioration affecting the mangroves of the Palmarito channel and the Cerro Hermoso mouth - which cut the connection to the sea, as well as the community management of the tichinda, a purple snail.
-Investigation with Lizbeth Hernández-
Tsïmbanio
-Defender el bosquet y su cultura ancestral -
MARIA TERESA BRAVO PERUCHO & COLECTIVO CULTURAL TSÏMBANIO
Comunidad Purépecha
Michoacan
Combating deforestation and drought caused by intensive avocado growing
-Investigation with Gwendolina Duval-
Tenabaris - Capullito
-Conservar su cultura-
LOLO
Comunidad Yoreme Mayo
Ohuira, Sinaloa
Women from three indigenous communities oppose a petrochemical fertilizer plant project. They lead the struggle despite death threats and the gradual disappearance of their culture.
-Investigation with Gwendolina Duval-
Sound recording Gwendolina Duval
Huaxin
-Proteger la melipona-
LEOCADIA UITZ & AVIA SARITA HUCHIN / Colectivo Ka Kuxtal Much’Meyaj
Comunidad Maya
Holpenchen, Campeche
The honey of the Melipona bee, with its miraculous properties, is a precious jewel. This rare species, devoid of a sting, is revered as sacred by the Maya people. It also embodies the resistance of indigenous communities in the region of Los Chenes, nestled in the southeast of Mexico, against the ravages of agro-industry.
-Investigation with Gwendolina Duval-
Nichim
-Conservar su Arte-
MARIA LOPEZ RUIZ y MARIA PEREZ PEREZ
Comunidad Tzotzil & Tsajalch
Zinacantan, Chiapas
Intellectual property of collective cultural creations: ready-to-wear giants and major fashion brands rely heavily on the traditional textile craftsmanship of Mexico's indigenous communities. The two women are at the origin of a collective for the protection of their arts.
-Investigation with Emmanuelle Steels-
