A photographic journey to the Latino roots.
The Origins mini-museum at Mexico City.
DePaul’ Jacqueline Taylor & David Miller at the Origins HQ inauguration.
World’s first:
The
Aztec
Photographic Origins’ Mexico City local phase begins.
Camera
Origins Magazine > No. 1 > The Origins Photographic Society for Latino Studies
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A great experience. The School of Communication at Universidad Panamericana is the right place to be. With a unique campus established in an XVIIth Century genuine hacienda you will be astonished with such a mind blowing campus. Yet, you’ll find all the state-of-the-art technology and a place to truly learn how to be at the top of the Communication game.
Full semester exchange program available for DePaul students. gherrer@up.edu.mx www.up.edu.mx
From the Director We are having an extremely exciting start for the Origins program. Our logo has the spiral of the mother-shell, the beginning of everything, the true origin.
We’ve already started the local phase at Mexico City; our office and mini-museum has been inaugurated and we are the proud home of the “Aztec Photographic Camera” in the form of our “Jaguar that devours space and time”.
This is the origin of Origins, and with this magazine we’ll open a channel to communicate our efforts and results. Welcome to Origins.
Oscar Colorado Director
Inauguration day October 5th, 2009 (Mexico City). Today we had the inauguration of the Origins headquarters in the brand new Communication Village at Universidad Panamericana. Dr. Jacqueline Taylor made the official inauguration by cutting the ribbon at the entrance. We felt very honored to open our mini-museum of Mexican Culture with such disntiguished friends. We also signed the first Origins nano-exchange and binational partnership with the DePaul University. In the following years we will inviteuniversities from Los Angeles, New York and the south of Texas. Since the Latino culture is beyond Mexico, we are looking to the south and we have had our first conversations with the University of Costa Rica and Universidad de la Sabana (Bogotรก). During the inauguration, Dr. Jacqueline Taylor and Dr. David Miller received the Certificate of Membership to The Origins Photographic Society for Latino Studies. Dr. Jose Luis Ortiz, dean of the School of Communication at Universidad Panamericana and Oscar Colorado, director of the Origins Program signed the binational partnership.
Federico Padilla
and his
Aztec
Photographic
Camera
He’s a little bit of Indiana Jones: archeologist, etnographer and museographer. Under his vest and Fedora hat, Federico Padilla has had a lot of incredible adventures working for Mexico’s Antrhopology and History Institute. Oscar Colorado, Director of Origins requested to this acclaimed museologist, illustrator and sculptor to create “a rendition of what would have been a photographic camera in the nahuatl tradition” to celebrate the opening of The Origins Photographic Society for Latino Studies headquarters at Mexico City’s Universidad Panamericana. The artist carved the sculpture in stone with ancestral mexica tools and techniques. The creation is a jaguar, with two frontal claws (one of them in attacking position). In the middle there is a cylinder with numbers carved in nahuatl. Right in the front, a forked tongue represents, as any shown tongue on the Aztec tradition, a rapture: the
extreme pleasure provoked by devouring space and time. The Aztec photographic camera has a carving in the back with a representation of a hummingbird, the symbol of sun & war god Huitzilopochtli. The eye of Huitzilopochtli is the viewfinder of the nahuatl camera. The Aztec Photographic Camera is faithful to the ancient nahuatl cosmogony. The sculpture’s patina makes it look old and worn, as if it
had been extracted from an archeological excavation. “It would be a huge milestone to find such an archeological piece, instead of being his sculptor. But I guess that the photographs of my jaguar that devours time and space will flood the Internet as an authentic archeological discovery and its image will soon appear on Urban Legend websites as yet another hoax. But this is not a prank, I’m not lying trying to convince any-
one with a counterfeit prehispanic photographic camera: I’m trying to honor the inauguration of the Origins headquarters with my experience, my art and my knowledge of the nahuatl culture. I’m very proud of the result. I hope that you may enjoy my jaguar that devours space and time. “ This piece is permanently exhibited at the Origins’ headquarters at Mexico City.
The first local phase: Origins México Dr. José Luis Ortiz, dean of the School of Communication at Universidad Panamericana wanted to start an international program that could provide true value to students in the USA. “We want to provide a unique experience through photography and an advanced program.” THeadquartered in Mexico City, The Origins Society for Latino Studies is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve Latino history, celebrate Latino excellence, support Latino education and ensure the future of the Latino culture. Origins is a colaborative education program addressed to undergraduate communication & media students and professors. Origins is a program created by the Photography Department of the
The studens obtain feedback during the coaching sessions every week.
Oscar Colorado, director del pro-
The local phase began this sep-
School of Communication at Uni- gram, designed all the elements to versidad Panamericana (Mexico). create this unique program.
tember. From a total of 100 candidates, 15 were chosen to begin an advanced photography program.
Diego Schlegel explains his point of view during one of the Origins’ sessions.
The participants face a weekly Photo Challenge with a Latino related theme. Then they receive the coaching of two top photographers: Gunther Sahagún (TimeWarner) and Jesús Díaz, a freelance pro that has published his works in magazines such as National Geographic. Once the program is finished, we will receive the students and professors participating in Origins from the DePaul University. They will stay at Mexico City for seven days to receive classes of Latino culture and every single day we’ll have a photo expedition (includ-
15 Mexican students were chosen from 100 candidates to be part of Origins.
bition.
phy Award.
The top 10 students from both
The local phase has been so suc-
countries will enter the Origins
cessful that will be extended for
At the end of the exchanges we
Photo ompetition and one of the
another semester in 2010. The stu-
will have a binational photo exhi-
will receive the Origins Photogra-
dents are highly motivated and in-
ing a trip to Teotihuacan pyramids). The Mexican students will travel to Chicago (june, 2010).
credibly commited to the project.
sion. “This is one of the greatest experiences in my life. I am learn-
Luis Hernán Landivar is a partici-
ing to understand my roots and
pant of the Origins Program. Luis is
culture through my lens and my
working in his own photographic
camera. “
project under the Origins supervi-
A photographic journey to the Latino roots.
The Mexico City’s 2009-2010 Origins Class: Diego Schlegel Carlos Carrillo Adriana Degante Jessica Fernández Jaime Flores Yamilé Meneses Juan Pablo Méndez Ana Daniela Pérez Armando Reyes Braulio García Santibáñez Gabriel García Luis Hernán Landívar Enrique Martínez Daniel Albert Martínez Alejandro Rueda
>>Profiles
Ana Daniela
Pérez Juárez excellent professors and coachs... The program is a truly eye-opener. I’m so happy and so honored of being a part of Origins. I just love the coaching sessions with Jesús Díaz and Gunther Sahagún. Every time a take my camera after any Origins sessions my eyes feel fresh and I returned with better results.” Here are some of the photographs of Ana Daniela looking deep for the latino roots.
Ana Daniela Pérez Juárez is a freshman of the School of Communication (Universidad Panamericana).
Ana Daniela is always haunting: light, silouettes, strong compositions. She receives 3 hours of advanced photography classes in the Origins Program. “ I love photography and when I started studying Communication I wanted to fine-tune my photoabilities. The Origins program is mind-blowing: superb classes,
“I’m always looking for a theme, to tell a story, to create a body of work and not just one great photo. This mazahua community surprised me beyond imagination: the warmth of the people is unveliebable. We alwas say that we, Mexican people, are very open. This is extremely humble people that opens your house and your heartst to your camera. It’s an experience that change my life.”
>>The Photo History
The head quarters When we started the Origins Program we wanted to create a space to show Mexico and the Latino roots. We worked with designer Sergio Padilla to create a unique office-museum. We received the collaboration of “Arte Museográfico” on of the top museography business in the world. This is the story.
An old photo studio is wating to become the Origins’ Headquarters.
Everyone was surprised with the colors.
Hand made furniture to the exact specifications.
The musuem windows wating to be assembled.
These guys are true professionals. They have assembled museums worldwide.
Oscar Colorado (right) and designer Sergio Padilla (left) working to choose the exact pieces of handicrafts to show Mexican culture.
The final assembly.
The “Alebrijes” are a part of the Mexican culture.
A fireworks structure called “castillo”.
Another work of art of Federico Padilla.
Toys, alebrijes, Olinalá boxes and mazahua dolls are part of the pieces in the nano-museum.
>>Photo Challenges
Showcase
This is a sampler with some of the photographs made by the Origins students in the Mexican Local Phase of the program.
Armando Reyes “The wrestler” Photo-challenge: “Luchas”
Braulio Castañeda “The eagle” Photo-challenge: “Patriots”
Jaime Flores “Rudimentary kitchen” Photo-challenge: “Food”
Jessica Fernandez “The Gathering” Photo-challenge: “Dia de Muertos”
Luis Hernán Landívar “Garibaldi’s Magic” Photo-challenge: “Markets”
Behind the mask
You can discover the Latino roots and uncover the mask of a magical country: Mexico. 6 days. 6 photo expeditions. 1 trip to Teotihuacan, the City of the Gods. A lifetime experience. You may be one of the 15 students that will uncover the secrets of the Latino culture in one of the largest cities in the world. Apply today to the Origins program. www.originslatino.org
A photographic journey to the Latino roots.