Palimpsesto Urbano
The aim of this project is to trace the constant expansion and re-shaping of Mexico City in ways that are drastic and subtle, temporary and permanent. The result is a meditation on the way that a city functions as a palimpsest— a hunt for remnants of the past, hidden within multiple historical layers of concrete and brick, images and text. This is not meant to be any sort of definitive catalog of the city, but rather a point of departure to assess the ephemerality and the permanence of the built environment of this megalopolis.
These photos were taken during 2008 and 2009 in many locations throughout the metropolitan area, including Iztacalco, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Ecatepec, Colonia Polanco, Colonia Juarez, Coyoacan, and Santa Fe. They are a result of my work with El Taller Internacional de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y +, as part of my fellowship from the Stein Institute at Cornell University. Most photos were taken while on excursions with photographer Adam Ryder.
"Palimpsesto Urbano" was a solo exhibition in Mexico City during September, 2009 at BORDER, and selections from this body of work were included in CUBEOpen 09 at the Centre for the Urban Built Environment (Manchester, UK) in November and December, 2009. This work was also selected for GOOD Magazine's web-based Picture Show in September, 2009, and for the Personal Projects section of the British Journal of Photography in May, 2010.
