The Días de plaza are a system of commercial rotation with origins in pre-Columbian tianguis (from the Nahuatl word tianquiztli), which transform a traditional market into the center of regional trade on specific days of the week, attracting vendors from various municipalities. According to this system, Miahuatlán holds its market on Monday, Santa María Atzompa on Tuesday, Villa de Etla and Zimatlán de Álvarez on Wednesday, Zaachila and Ejutla de Crespo on Thursday, Ocotlán on Friday, Oaxaca City on Saturday, and Tlacolula on Sunday, while in Teotitlán del Valle, the market operates daily.
Traditional markets are complex social spaces where commercial activities intersect, particularly in agriculture, livestock, and artisanal goods. They are also crucial sites for cultural and linguistic exchange among Oaxaca’s Indigenous communities—the state with the highest number of Indigenous languages spoken in Mexico—reflecting a vast cultural and identity-rich heritage.
The title of this exhibition references a phrase from the short story La semana de colores (The Week of Colors) by Mexican writer Elena Garro. As a whole, the photographs incorporate the dreamlike quality present in that narrative, capturing moments of beauty, tenderness, and contemplation while also depicting the stark realities of the daily trade of animals and meat for human consumption. The images convey the contrasts and hardships of life in these spaces.
As part of Aquí estamos en el centro de los días and under the same name, Gabriele Sciotto presents a fanzine published in Oaxaca in collaboration with Erandi Adame. In this publication, he establishes a direct dialogue between Garro’s story and the moments he captured in traditional markets throughout 2023. Since the beginning of his career, the artist has focused his photographic practice on documenting various social issues and cultural heritage. His work has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Time, BBC, CNN, La Repubblica, and Corriere della Sera.
Traditional markets are complex social spaces where commercial activities intersect, particularly in agriculture, livestock, and artisanal goods. They are also crucial sites for cultural and linguistic exchange among Oaxaca’s Indigenous communities—the state with the highest number of Indigenous languages spoken in Mexico—reflecting a vast cultural and identity-rich heritage.
The title of this exhibition references a phrase from the short story La semana de colores (The Week of Colors) by Mexican writer Elena Garro. As a whole, the photographs incorporate the dreamlike quality present in that narrative, capturing moments of beauty, tenderness, and contemplation while also depicting the stark realities of the daily trade of animals and meat for human consumption. The images convey the contrasts and hardships of life in these spaces.
As part of Aquí estamos en el centro de los días and under the same name, Gabriele Sciotto presents a fanzine published in Oaxaca in collaboration with Erandi Adame. In this publication, he establishes a direct dialogue between Garro’s story and the moments he captured in traditional markets throughout 2023. Since the beginning of his career, the artist has focused his photographic practice on documenting various social issues and cultural heritage. His work has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Time, BBC, CNN, La Repubblica, and Corriere della Sera.