La casa que sangra II Broken Roots.

“A people without memory is condemned to repeat their mistakes.”

Guerrero is one of the Mexican States that have been most affected by organized

crime; It is the second poorest and most violent state in the country. The condition

of social and economic marginalization of Guerrero is becoming more evident. The

crisis of the rule of law is increasingly alarming and forced disappearances are only

one of the symptoms that prove it. In 2013, three of my brothers-in-law died. (They

used to live in Iguala, the place from where the Ayotzinapa students disappeared).

One of them was killed; the other two disappeared.) After these events I began

documenting my family, and the families of other missing people, in order to capture in photographs the psychological and emotional breakdown caused by the loss of family members, especially for parents, children, and siblings. I am working with the concepts of pain, emptiness, absence, and forgetting.

I’m seeking social and cultural clues that can allow me to create a personal

account of the issues that families face when dealing with an unexpected death.

Through the testimony and this particular issue, I want to show the relationship of

intimate space to personal life experience, which is reflected in the social

experience.

I am thus trying to depict the situation which many families in this region face,

which they live through daily, and which is one of the causes of the unraveling of

Mexico's social fabric.

© Yael Martínez - Empty. Luz & Me at home.Taxco Guerrero México.
i

Empty. Luz & Me at home.Taxco Guerrero México.

© Yael Martínez - The house that bleeds (self portrait with my daughter and apresence of a hanging man) Guerrero Mexico
i

The house that bleeds (self portrait with my daughter and apresence of a hanging man) Guerrero Mexico

© Yael Martínez - Image from the La casa que sangra II Broken Roots. photography project
i

Falling down Itzel playing in the funeral of his uncle Javier Granda. Who Died at jail, he was 26 years old. At the police department of Iguala Guerrero.

© Yael Martínez - slaugther house. The trompi working at the slaughterHouse. Acapulco Guerrero.
i

slaugther house. The trompi working at the slaughterHouse. Acapulco Guerrero.

© Yael Martínez - Trail of skin. Leather chaps of Jose Angel Campos Cantor.
i

Trail of skin. Leather chaps of Jose Angel Campos Cantor.

© Yael Martínez - Shadow of Sandra Granda at home in Taxco Guerrero Mexico. In 2013 three of my brother in-law died.
i

Shadow of Sandra Granda at home in Taxco Guerrero Mexico. In 2013 three of my brother in-law died.

© Yael Martínez - Broken. Digno Cruz (My father-in-law) was crying at home while he was talking about his missing grandsons.
i

Broken. Digno Cruz (My father-in-law) was crying at home while he was talking about his missing grandsons.

© Yael Martínez - Ruined house. Ruined house in the comunity of Santiago Temixco, Guerrero Mexico.
i

Ruined house. Ruined house in the comunity of Santiago Temixco, Guerrero Mexico.

© Yael Martínez - Family heart. Photos on the wall of Perla Granda's bedroom of her missing
i

Family heart. Photos on the wall of Perla Granda's bedroom of her missing

© Yael Martínez - The call. Lucero Granda taking the call where her mother tell her that her brother was killed, at Iguala Guerrero
i

The call. Lucero Granda taking the call where her mother tell her that her brother was killed, at Iguala Guerrero

© Yael Martínez - Red cocoon. Bedroom of the Cruz's family in the community of Santiago Temixco, Guerrero Mexico.
i

Red cocoon. Bedroom of the Cruz's family in the community of Santiago Temixco, Guerrero Mexico.

© Yael Martínez - wrapped child. Itzel Martínez (my daughter) after taking a shower in home in Taxco Guerrero.She is 6 years old
i

wrapped child. Itzel Martínez (my daughter) after taking a shower in home in Taxco Guerrero.She is 6 years old

© Yael Martínez - Machete in the bedroom of my grandfather in law Digno Cruz in the community on Santiago Temixco, Guerrero Mexico.
i

Machete in the bedroom of my grandfather in law Digno Cruz in the community on Santiago Temixco, Guerrero Mexico.

© Yael Martínez - Itzel Martinez playing at grandparents house in the comunity of Santiago Temixco. Guerrero Mexico.
i

Itzel Martinez playing at grandparents house in the comunity of Santiago Temixco. Guerrero Mexico.

© Yael Martínez - Image from the La casa que sangra II Broken Roots. photography project
i

Hanging seed. Hanging seeds of beans in Digno Cruz home in the community of Santiago Temixco.Guerrero Mexico. In the community of Santiago Temixco Most of the people are farmers who grow corn, beans and others vegetables.

© Yael Martínez - Blood Moon
i

Blood Moon

© Yael Martínez - Evaporated water in the house of the Granda´s Family. Guerrero Mexico
i

Evaporated water in the house of the Granda´s Family. Guerrero Mexico

© Yael Martínez - Tears. Lucero Granda (my wife) taking a shower at home. Taxco Guerrero Mexico.
i

Tears. Lucero Granda (my wife) taking a shower at home. Taxco Guerrero Mexico.

© Yael Martínez - Dried roots of Cactus on a wall in the comunity of Tixtla Guerrero Mexico.
i

Dried roots of Cactus on a wall in the comunity of Tixtla Guerrero Mexico.

© Yael Martínez - Burning man. Shadow of a person in a wall in the community of Metlatonoc Guerrero
i

Burning man. Shadow of a person in a wall in the community of Metlatonoc Guerrero

© Yael Martínez - Abel & Sandra Granda at home in Taxco Guerrero México
i

Abel & Sandra Granda at home in Taxco Guerrero México

© Yael Martínez - Image from the La casa que sangra II Broken Roots. photography project
i

The funeral. Remains of flowers that were in the van that transported us to the funeral of Javier Granda. in thr comunity of Santiago Temixco, Guerrero, Mexico

© Yael Martínez - The dark root. Itzel Martinez playing at her grandparents home in the comunity of Santiago Temixco, Guerrero Mexico
i

The dark root. Itzel Martinez playing at her grandparents home in the comunity of Santiago Temixco, Guerrero Mexico

© Yael Martínez - The bather. Itzel Martinez (my daughter) taking a bath at home. Guerrero Mexico
i

The bather. Itzel Martinez (my daughter) taking a bath at home. Guerrero Mexico

© Yael Martínez - Image from the La casa que sangra II Broken Roots. photography project
i

A crime scene. (self-portrait) Zautla Mexico.After the loss of my brother-in-law. I Try to represent symbolically his death and the death of many people in Guerrero because of organized crime.

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Stay in the loop


We will send you weekly news on contemporary photography. You can change your mind at any time. We will treat your data with respect. For more information please visit our privacy policy. By ticking here, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with them. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.