Turquoise memoir

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Self-portrait at my first job in Cancun; an illegal call center. Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2020. © Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project © Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project View all images ↓
View all images ↓
  • Dates
    2020 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Locations Mexico, Quintana Roo, Playa del Carmen, Cancún, Puerto Morelos, San Miguel de Cozumel

Inconsistent, but transitional, Turquoise Memoir presents thoughts and experiences as images. The echoes of an unintentional parenthesis that feels as if it were to be ending soon.

I live in a province where its astonishing natural beauty has been exploited indiscriminately for the last 60 years. After a well-known land distribution in favor of the elite, Quintana Roo eventually turned into Mexico's number one international touristic destination: illegal deforestation and cenote drilling under the banner of development, with iconic projects like the Maya Train throughout the Yucatan Peninsula whose environmental impact was questioned since its announcement, and recently exhibited by the press; degradation of the Belize Barrier Reef and careless manipulation of the aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna in order to satisfy the demand for adventurous and exotic experiences at an accesible price for massive, all-inclusive tourism; criminal activities in many forms and at different levels, along with sudden bursts of cynical, grotesque violence have become the norm for trending destinations like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, and other populated areas of the 80 miles that make up the Riviera Maya, a marketing name for Mexico's white-sanded southeast coast

Inconsistent, but transitional, Turquoise Memoir presents thoughts and experiences as images. The echoes of an unintentional parenthesis that feels as if it were to be ending soon.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Self-portrait at my first job in Cancun; an illegal call center. Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2020.
i

Self-portrait at my first job in Cancun; an illegal call center. Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2020.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

With it’s all-inclusive wedding packages, the Riviera Maya has positioned itself as an attractive wedding destination with an average cost of 5,000 USD, offering a paradisiacal alternative for new couples. Cancun, Mexico, 2021.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

An estimated 6,600 hectares (66,308 acres) of the second biggest tropical forest of America, were deforested for the construction of the Tren Maya, Mexico's current President flagship project. Puerto Morelos, Mexico, 2022.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Hurricane "Grace" from my window. It was the 3rd hurricane I had experienced, after "Delta" and "Zeta" in 2020. Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2021.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

The exoticization of the Maya culture has stimulated the curiosity of travelers looking for an alternative approach to traditional resort-based tourism, but without proper supervision it results in the exploitation of natural resources and misinformation.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Self-portrait after my 3rd interview for the human resources position. I knew I would get the job, so I smoked a "bacha", a.k.a. roach. Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2021.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Crime coverage is limited to Quintana Roo’s local media, but some cases have gained national attention, specifically feminicides like that of Ana Gómez, a Hard Rock Riviera Maya employee whose body was found with signs of violence inside the resort.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Municipal Preventive Police isn't perceived by locals as supportive, with public slip-ups such as their response with firearms to the feminist protest over the femicide of Bianca Lorenzana, whose body was found in a bag on the outskirts of Cancun in 2020.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Civil associations of Quintana Roo organize search and rescue brigades for their missing relatives. Sometimes this results in the discovery of illegal burial sites, like this one inside an abandoned property during the search of missing José Luis Franco.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Year by year, millions of international tourists visit the Riviera Maya in order to explore its natural beauty through snorkeling and diving activities, many times unaware of the problematics massive tourism represents for the environment.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Gun cartridge found one day after employees of the main company that provides sewerage, sanitation and water treatment in Quintana Roo were arrested with drugs, a weighing machine and a firearm on board of a company’s truck. Puerto Morelos, 2021.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

The presence of the Mexican Armed Forces, including Army, Navy and National Guard units, has become common in areas frequented by tourists because of everyday and high profile recent criminal episodes.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Mexico's lax diplomacy, mixed with it's fame as a party destination, make it an attractive option for those looking to temporarily forget about international conflicts. Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2023.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Mexico’s Riviera Maya, located in the state of Quintana Roo, hosted around 47% of the total international visitors Mexico received during 2023, mostly from the U.S.A., Canada and UK. Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve, Quintana Roo, México, 2023.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Although forbidden by local and federal authorities alike, feeding wild animals on protected areas is a common practice by tour guides to offer tourists a greater experience, despite the environmental consequences it has.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

In addition to the global climate change problematic, the increasing and careless presence of humans, mostly attracted through massive tourism, represent a big threat to the ecosystem. Playa del Carmen, Mexico, 2024.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - A camouflaged Whitespotted filefish with coral formations in Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2024.
i

A camouflaged Whitespotted filefish with coral formations in Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2024.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Barnacles on a sandal, one of many remains found floating, at the bottom or at the shores of the Riviera Maya, an international touristic destination that hosted around 20 million international tourists in 2023. Playa del Carmen, Mexico, 2024.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Image from the Turquoise memoir photography project
i

Coral farming has been taking place in the reefs of Cozumel Island. Other measures like a calendar that marks the seasons where each reef can be visited, avoiding sunscreen or single-use plastics, intend to minimize the damage, but as in many places, concerns remain. Cozumel island, Mexico, 2024.

© Arturo Velázquez Hernández - Self-portrait in Cozumel Island, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2024.
i

Self-portrait in Cozumel Island, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 2024.

Turquoise memoir by Arturo Velázquez Hernández

Prev Next Close