Interview Conducted by Heming Liu

Mexico is a country where different mystical and religious traditions blend and mutate against a backdrop of a complex history: starting with the indigenous rituals of the Mayans and Aztecs, then Catholicism imposed by the Spanish colonists to the various cultural influences from Africa and from Latin and North America. While the majority of Mexicans identify as Catholics, the influences of indigenous customs prior to the colonization are still present today. ‘Yo soy otro tú, tú eres otro yo’ (I am another you, you are another me) is a portrayal of the Mexican people and their faith. Focusing on the diversity of contemporary spirituality in Mexico, this project explores the unseen and unveils the underlying similarities between these spiritual practices. It looks beyond the altars, icons and religious symbols, to capture the people behind these beliefs.

Don May is a Granisero who practises in his own personal cave. A Granisero is a spiritual healer and someone who can control the weather through offerings and chanting. ” © Robin Alysha Clemens

HL : I’m deeply intrigued by the selection of your subjects, which distinctly vary in class background, education, age, employment and religious practice. What was the research process in finding the people that define the complexities of contemporary spirituality in Mexico?

Robin Alysha Clemens: Different (sub)cultures, people and groups I’m not familiar with fascinate me, whether that’s in my home country The Netherlands, or in this case in Mexico. I use my photography as an anthropological tool to examine culture, identity, traditions and the associated symbolism. Mexico is a country that is heavily influenced by its complex political and social history, which is clearly visible in the blending, mutation and adaption of different spiritual practices throughout time. It was my goal to show the diversity in spirituality in Mexico, so it was important that the people I photograph would properly represent that diversity. In the end I photographed over 60 different people: from curanderos (spiritual healers), shamans, Catholics, Buddhists, supporters of Santa Muerte, brujas (witches) to indigenous people like the Seri and Yaqui, and more.

"Socrates is a traditional dancer, medicine man, musician and studies law. He is part of the indigenous Seri tribe in the Sonora Desert." © Robin Alysha Clemens

I started out by making a list of different spiritual practices I wanted to photograph and I tried to find local assistants in every city I visited. These people usually knew the area very well and could help me set up meetings and interviews with a variety of relevant people. I would also sometimes just wonder around at different religious sites or churches

Despite the different institutional classifications, a narrative arc underlying each subject, to me, is a shared effort to connect with one’s body, and identity. Faces illuminate a cathartic spontaneity, implying a spiritual relationship unbeknownst to the subjects. How did you approach the decisive moments captured in their ritual setting?

During certain rituals, especially at a church or other official ceremony, the only control I had was my light and where I was positioned. But there were other moments where I actually had people perform the rituals just for me and my camera or where I would stage certain elements. With every situation, it was different: sometimes I had the luxury to be there for many hours and take a lot of photographs but sometimes it was just a lucky shot in a limited time. In every situation I was searching for a mystical undertone in my visualization. In the end, the light, body language and facial expressions were the most important factors in deciding the selection of my final photographs.

There is a clear visual separation of the subjects and their ideology, where their presences are not dominating each other, but complimentary to a gaze of self-fulfillment. In your compositions, particularly the usage of objects and lighting, how did you establish a balance of representations?

It was very important to me that the people I photographed were seen as individuals, rather than a caricature of their ideology. Especially since the theme of spirituality is already so heavily influenced by subjectivity, I wanted to portray the people without any judgement. I added personal elements in my visualization but I also combined the photographs with quotes from their interviews. This project looks beyond the altars, icons and religious symbols and captures the people behind these beliefs. What does spirituality mean to people on a personal level? What are their emotions when they practice their rituals? By using a cinematographic visualization, I try to, quite literally, put this documentary narrative into a different light. I used different lighting setups and flash photography to translate this mystical undertone into my photos, where the Mexican believers get leading roles in their own parables.

“At 54, Enrique is honoured to be known as the ‘Brujo Mayor’, a title that is normally only given to sorcerers over 70. “ © Robin Alysha Clemens

Lastly, I wish to discuss the project’s thematic space, one of which is deeply rooted in faith and salvation. Many churches, temples and other places of worship ban photography due to sensitivities of privacy and offense. In the process of capturing each environment, did you encounter any difficulties with the subjects or authorities in the religion?

I can understand people being wary of cameras at religious ceremonies and especially since I am a super tall white girl who is obviously not from there – my presence did sometimes raise some eyebrows. However, the first thing I did in these situations is to find someone who is in charge or knows the people there and properly introduce myself and explain the project. Sometimes they didn’t want to participate, which I respected, but almost all the time they were surprisingly welcoming and eager to share their story with me. For the people their spirituality is a very serious topic so showing them I was personally interested, respectful and without judgment was essential in them trusting me and letting me in.

“Every week in the church of El Divino Salvador in Mexico City, people gather for a group exorcism” © Robin Alysha Clemens

Describe your creative process in one word

Exploration.

If you could teach a one-hour class on anything, what would it be?

On how to photograph using existing light on location.

What was the last book you read or film you saw that inspired you?

I’m now reading “When Fact Is Fiction, Documentary Art in the Post-Truth Era” by Nele Wynants. This book collects various contributions from and about artists who explore the boundaries between fact and fiction by playing with the documentary narrative. I am not very far yet, so I can’t guarantee that the whole book is any good but it’s definitely a topic that interests me greatly.

What is the most played song in your music library?

That’s a tough one. I listen to a lot of different music and it very depends on my mood. I think if I have to pick one of my favorite and most played songs it will be Apparat – Ash / Black Veil.

How do you take your coffee?

It’s probably for the best if I don’t get addicted to caffeine so I’ll just stick with my tea.

Check out more of Robin’s photographs on her website and Instagram (@robinalysha)