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.