1. TOUGH
WORLD
Tradition, drug addiction and religious faith – over a period
of two years and armed only with an R6 and an M9, the
Brazilian photographer returned time and again to Tepito,
a district of Mexico City filled with life and violence.
Insights into a hard to access no-go-area.
PHOTOGRAPHY:
ADRIANA ZEHBRAUSKAS
10 LFI 5/2012

2. “Diableros”, “Devil workers” transport merchandise
through Tepito on foot (above, and right middle); the
police are happy to be bribed; murder in front of the
bar called “Sal si puedes”, “Get out if you can”
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3. X-ray photos are used as kindergarten decorations
for the Santa Muerte festivities (above); in addition
to worshipping Santa Muerte, Saint Francis is also
honoured in a Halloween-like manner
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4. Tepito celebrates Saint Francis, the Catholic patron
saint of the district, with a funfair on October 4 each year.
Many people make themselves up as “La Catrina”, the
Mexicon symbol for the day of the dead
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5. Mexico City is like a labyrinth, as can been seen in this
aerial photo (left, middle); tabletop football is also
an obligatory part of Mexican life; Roberto Vega Guerrero,
80, proud to be a Tepiteño (below left)
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6. The worship of the sacred figure of Santa Muerte,
uniting Christian saintliness with black magic, has
many forms of expression: dolls, figurines and tattoos,
that most people enjoy showing off
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7. PORTFOLIO
ADRIANA ZEHBRAUSKAS
there? Who lives there? These questions LFI: How did people react when you
were in my mind and I kept thinking that appeared?
I had to go there and see for myself. Adriana Zehbrauskas: Mexicans don’t like
LFI: It’s not only drugs and violence, but having pictures taken. They’re suspi-
also local traditions that are an important cious, and they don’t want others to take
element of your series. Where do you advantage of them. So it’s really not easy.
find the metaphors and symbols? LFI: So how did you manage anyway?
Adriana Zehbrauskas: Everywhere. Life Adriana Zehbrauskas: I talked to the
there happens in the open, in the middle people first. They all have stories about
of the street. Everything from drug being in jail, husbands in recovery, vio-
dealing, drug taking, religious devotion, lence, drugs, alcohol, murder, robbery.
commerce, friendship, family life. The Sniffing glue or smoking pot is normal
name of the bar in Tepito where a lot there. I promised I’d never publish their
of this goes on is called “Sal si puedes”, photos in a local newspaper.
which means something like “get out if LFI: Apart from the criminality and vio-
you can”. lence, were there other aspects of Tepito
LFI: It almost sounds like a motto for that caught your attention?
the lives of the people there. How were Adriana Zehbrauskas: Tepiteños are very
you able to get around without anything proud. And St. Francis, along with Santa
happening to you? Muerte, are their patron saints. On the
Adriana Zehbrauskas: I am obviously dif- first day of every month they celebrate
ferent to the people living there, and they Santa Muerte. It’s not recognized by
are very suspicious. I met a family who the catholic church – it’s a cult, mixed
lives and works there, and they were my with Catholic traditions. Everybody is
gateway to the community. In Tepito you in the streets, they bring their own Santa
can’t simply walk in by yourself. The on- Muerte figurines which they dress up
ly two times I ventured in by myself I was individually and then they’re celebrating
mugged: once at gunpoint. Other places the dead. It’s a joyful street party.
I asked to be taken to. Sometimes I was LFI: In your pictures, you not only cap-
really scared, I often felt uncomfortable. ture sadness, but also liveliness and reli-
In addition to the life-defining presence of The Brazilian photographer Adriana Of all the districts in Zehbrauskas’s new LFI: How does one take pictures with LFI: With so much violence and scepti- gion as a place of refuge for the people.
Santa Muerte in Tepito, children have now also Zehbrauskas originally wanted to be a home-town, Tepito is the one that most soul? cism, how were you able to take photos? Is faith still a theme for you?
begun to idolize their mobile phones journalist. Attending journalism school fascinates her. The name comes from Adriana Zehbrauskas: Music. My images Adriana Zehbrauskas: You have to be ve- Adriana Zehbrauskas: Yes. Right now I’m
in São Paolo and then linguistic studies the Aztec word “teocali-tepiton”, mea- always have a soundtrack, even if it’s just ry careful and ask the people. I’m very focused on a project about the Brazilian
in Paris soon revealed that her preferred ning something like “chapel”. Despite its in my mind. shy, so it’s not easy for me to get close migration to Japan. I’m also working on
form of expression was the image, not name, it is known to have one of the high- LFI: And what’s going on in Tepito? to people. But when I have a camera it’s a book featuring my long-term Faith pro-
the written word. Born in 1968, Zeh- est criminality rates in Mexico City. For Adriana Zehbrauskas: Tepito was at the different. It’s almost as if I’m someone ject, and a children’s photo book.
brauskas – of Lithuanian and Lebanese two years, Zehbrauskas returned there top of my list, since I moved to Mexico else then. INTERVIEW: CARLA SUSANNE ERDMANN
descent – moved to Mexico city a few time and again, working with an M9 with City from São Paulo. It was always refer- LFI: Weren’t you afraid for your equip-
years ago. From there, she works as a Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 Asph and an red to as the no-go place par excellence, ment?
E-Book: “Tepito, el barrio” by Adriana Zehbraus-
free-lance photographer for the Wall R6 with Summicron-R 35 mm f/2 – the the ultimate dangerous place in Mexico Adriana Zehbrauskas: People like to go for
kas (Colección Cristal de luz, México, 2012),
Street Journal, the Guardian, Le Figaro photo-grapher and the equipment sur- City. I was curious about it. Was it real- fancy, shiny cameras, whereas the Leica available at the Apple iTunes store
and the New York Times, among others. vived the long-term project unscathed. ly that dangerous? Why? What’s going to them looks like an out-of-style gadget. More information: www.azpix.com.br
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