PHOTOGRAPHER MARISOL MENDEZ
Marisol Mendez.
Uses the camera to study the tension between truth and fiction — deconstructing hegemonic narratives and confronting them with the friction of the heterogeneous. Her project MADRE is a landmark in contemporary Bolivian photography.
Paper Journal · GUP · Balam
Your greatest inspirations?
My greatest inspiration are the women in my family. My mom and sisters help me soar and, at the same time, keep me grounded so I can focus my energy on the things that really matter. They are my support system and the reason I'm not afraid to chase new horizons.
In terms of art, I'm drawn to camp, absurdism and the paradoxical nature of being human. Most of my influences belong to cinema and literature. I love the exuberance of Zadie Smith and the playfulness of Agnès Varda. I love how Michael Haneke frames existence and how Julio Cortázar weaves the impossible into reality. I recently got into Fassbinder and my latest obsession is Derrida and deconstruction.
How are technology and innovation affecting your work?
MADRE was about challenging and deconstructing traditional modes of representation — technology and innovation were not part of that approach. As a photographer I don't believe in image hierarchies. I tend to combine lo-fi procedures with sophisticated photographic techniques to explore the dynamics between immediacy and intimacy, memory and identity.
That said, I'm genuinely interested in how new technologies — especially AI — will play a role in art and how the creative process may become hybrid to include its intervention. A friend recently got access to MidJourney and it was so amusing to conduct experiments and hypothesise about how these tools will change the artistic panorama. As with deepfake technology, the possibilities make me tingle with fear and excitement.
"Emotion precedes intellect. Always."
— Marisol Mendez
Tell us about your creative process.
When a project is personal, the starting point is always intuition and openness. I have to feel strongly about the subject matter or be intimately connected to the idea. In my work, emotion precedes intellect.
Once I'm set on an idea, I start building a structure to support it — strong but not rigid, to allow the ebb and flow of creation. The structure determines the narration and is sustained by research and design. This is the moment the initial spark takes form, when the idea becomes a story.
After that, it's about putting your notions to the test. Things won't always go to plan — more often than not you have to adapt, re-route, and summon creativity to overcome shortcomings. The key for me is to embrace uncertainty. Expect the best, prepare for the worst.
How did the pandemic affect your work?
The pandemic caught me at an emotional low point. Even before quarantine I had been struggling to feel connected to the images I was producing. So although initially I was devastated to slow down, this ended up being very beneficial for my career and mental health.
The forced hiatus allowed me to reconsider my practice and redirect my efforts toward strengthening my vision. In this age of overproduction and mindless scrolling, it was instrumental to review my photographs — old and new — to rediscover, recycle, rearrange and repurpose them. That process of reviewing and analysing allowed me to regain confidence in my voice.
What does wellbeing mean to you?
Wellbeing is about finding the balance to keep your mind and body healthy and stimulated.
Through MADRE I learned that a personal project gives you space for experimentation and time for introspection. It allows you to investigate something that interests you on your own terms. So be bold — it's an opportunity to make up your own rules, experiment with language, and build universes. It's also a moment to reflect upon your practice, to ask yourself what you're trying to say, how you're saying it, and why.
Photobook — seeking publication
Antakly Projects / Ninu Nina
Credits- All photos Maria del Sol Cabrera Assistant
Portrait of artist Fan Coco. Courtesy of artist.
