Description

Join Magnum photographer Yael Martínez on a 7-day immersive workshop in the Sacred Valley of Cusco.

Under the guidance of  Yael Martínez, inspired guest lectures and outings, participants will explore storytelling using the breadth of possibilities offered by photography. 

This workshop will provide an intimate experience of Peruvian culture, bridging the gap between local artists and the traditions that inspire the development of a project which carefully considers the context in which it is produced.

Yael Martínez is known for telling critical stories with unconventional approaches. Over the week he will support participants in developing new work whilst they interrogate the very means through which they approach it. Participants will become familiar with issues surrounding:

  • Representation
  • Impact
  • Collaboration
  • Approach

Takeaways:

By the end of the workshop, participants should…

  • Have a thoroughly planned and critically informed self directed body of photographic work
  • Be able to demonstrate creative, visual, and technical abilities
  • Have deeper understanding of the history of documentary photography in Peru
  • Critically analyze photography within both historical and theoretical frameworks;
  • Engage in informed, critical self-reflection and the ability to critique peers
  • Demonstrate an understanding of editing photographs for different outputs
  • Develop an understanding of the variety of ways in which photography can function as a means of personal expression and as a documentary record

About The Sacred Valley of Cusco

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is located 50 km north of the city of Cusco in Peru, and is home to a collection of ancient Incan ruins, including the citadel of Machu Picchu. Known for its picturesque mountain ranges, colourful vegetation and thriving Quechuan culture, it is by far Peru’s most visited destination, receiving millions of tourists each year.

The Valley is characterised by its traditional agricultural practices which mainly grow corn and hundreds of varieties of potatoes, symbolically rich textile artworks and, over the course of the last century, a thriving economy of tourism.

It has repeatedly been represented artistically and photographically, and Magnum’s eye is no exception, having welcomed Cornell Capa, Werner Bischoff, Martin Parr and Alex Webb to its hillsides. Still considered a top photographic destination for photographers all over the world, photographing it and its history has never been more sensitive or challenging given the ethical conundrums that come with unsustainable touristic practices, misrepresentation and a culture which increasingly relies on tourism to survive.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Sunday 01 October

Arrival at Maleza in Urubamba

Evening: Meet and Greet

Day 2: Monday 02 October

Location: Maleza, Urubamba

Morning:
– Program presentation with Yael Martínez, Alejandra Orosco and Paul Gambin (co-founders of Maleza)
– Participants introductions; lecture by Yael Martínez  

Afternoon: A summary of the photographic representation of the Andes throughout history, with Alejandra Orosco and Paul Gambin

Day 3: Tuesday 03 October

Location: Cusco City
Morning: Visit to Martin Chambi Photographic Archive or shooting

Afternoon: Visit to Vigil-Gonzales Contemporary Art and Photography Gallery (optional) or shooting

Evening: Return to Urubamba

Day 4: Wednesday 04 October

Location: Ollantaytambo & Sacred Valley

Morning: Visit to Alqa Museum (optional) or shooting

Day: Shooting
Evening: Group Review

Day 5: Thursday 05 October

Location: Sacred Valley

Day: Shooting
Evening: Group Review

Day 6: Friday 06 October

Location: Sacred Valley

Day: Shooting
Evening: Group Review

Day 7: Saturday 07 October

Location: Maleza, Urubamba

Day: Editing and sequencing of the work shot the days before, in a group setting
Evening: Public Presentation of work in Maleza

Yael Martínez’s work addresses fractured communities in his native Mexico. He often works symbolically to evoke a sense of emptiness, absence, and pain suffered by those affected by organized crime in the region. He is the recipient of the Eugene Smith Award 2019, was fellow of the Photography and Social Justice Program of The Magnum Foundation. He won the 2nd Prize of the World Press Photo contests 2019 in the category of long-term projects. Martínez was grantee of the Magnum Foundation in the grants: Emergency Fund and On Religion in 2016- 2017. His work has been featured in group shows in America, Europe, Africa and Asia. His work has been published by: The Wall Street Journal,Blomberg news, Lens NY times, Time, Vogue Italy, Vrij Nederland, Aperture. Martínez became a Magnum Nominee member in 2020.

Paul Gambin is an Italo-Britanic photographer, photo editor, filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer based in Cusco, Peru, who uses photography and video to dissect and analyse issues around culture, language and perception. In 2019 Paul was selected for the first Diplomado in Fotografía Documental of El CaSa, Mexico, under the tutelage of Antoine d’Agata, Pablo Ortiz Monasterio and Yael Martinez. Since completing the course he has continued to work across Latin America and his work has been recognised by different institutions including National Geographic, the Lucie Foundation and GUP, to name a few. Beyond working as a photographer, Paul also focuses his attention on curating cultural programs, editing photobooks and educating, and has worked closely with Magnum Photos, the British Journal of Photography, National Geographic, Fujifilm and Thames & Hudson.   He is co-founder of Maleza Casa Estudio, a public arts space dedicated to photography and the visual arts in the Sacred Valley in Cusco, in which he co-curates a rich program of events and exhibitions focussed on developing and disseminating contemporary art and photography in the Peruvian Andes. He is regularly commissioned by and featured across a number of international media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Le Monde, The Financial Times Magazine, among others, and is a freelance photographer for Reuters.

Alejandra Orosco is a Peruvian social communicator and photographer. Her photographic work addresses social and environmental issues, seeking to understand the relationship between human beings and their environment through a personal language. In recent years, she has been recognized by different organisations such as National Geographic, the Lucie Foundation, the VII Academy and SMArt Program, undertaking an artistic residency with the latter, through which she developed and exhibited her last individual show in Switzerland called "Symptoms". Parallel to this, she currently works as a freelance photographer for Reuters while developing her personal projects independently and her work has been published across international media outlets such as The Financial Times, Fisheye Magazine, El Pais and CNN among others.  In 2014, she founded Proyecto Iris, an organisation that promotes participatory photography as a tool for collective creation and reflection, through which she has directed and organised more than 15 workshops with adults and children across different regions of Peru. Alejandra currently co-directs Maleza, an arts centre in the Sacred Valley that promotes dialogue between traditional and contemporary forms of art.

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