Fragmentary Presence

The photos of Katyussa Veiga on the Bolivian underground punk band Gato Diablo represent the band's constant search for new places. It is a fragmentary, urban spirit, deeply rooted in tradition that speaks out to us here. A photo series by Katyussa Veiga from the Norient book and exposition Seismographic Sounds (see and order here).

Click on the title image to explore the photo series.

The Devil as a carnival character is an important part of the Andean imaginary. The contemporary Diablada dance – performed in the carnival – is a mix of both Spanish and Aymara traditions. I take advantage of this strong (and clichéd) symbol in order to point out the paradox of contemporary La Paz, where strong indigenous traditions live hand-in-hand with modernity. Spending time with Gato Diablo made me understand that their music is a constant search for new places and belongs to a complex urban rhizome. The disintegrated mask throughout the series represents this (un)comfortable platform in eternal movement: a space in which we are deconstructing, reconstructing, and waving resiliently our identities and senses of belonging.

This photo series is part of the Norient exhibition Seismographic Sounds and was published first in the correspondent Norient book.

Biography

Katyussa Veiga was born in the middle of Brazil. She graduated with a degree in International Relations and started working with analogue techniques and photography in 2011. Currently, Katyussa lives and works in the Andean side of Bolivia.

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Seismographic Sounds
Seismographic Sounds: Visions of a New World
€50.00
The second Norient book «Seismographic Sounds: Visions of a New World» introduces you to a contemporary world of distinct music and music videos. Written by 250 scholars, journalists, bloggers and musicians from 50 countries.

Published on November 17, 2017

Last updated on August 25, 2022

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