From 2009 till 2011, Dutch war photographer Teun Voeten focused on the drug-related violence that is destabilizing Mexico. He visited the epicenter of the violence, Ciudad Juarez, as well as other hot spots such as Culiacan and Michoacan.
With introductory essays by El Paso based anthropologist Howard Campbell as well as Culiacan based writer Javier Valdez Cardenas, this hard hitting photobook tries to explains why the drug violence in Mexico can no longer be ignored as a fringe criminal problem, since it is eroding the very fundaments of our human civilization. The bookdesign, sober yet strong, is the work of renowned Dutch designer Jan Kleingeld who also designed 'A Ticket To', Voeten's first photo book.
War photographer Teun Voeten, renowned for his earlier work in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone and Colombia is with a grant of The Pascal Decroos Fund working on a photo book on the drug violence.
This project has been realised with the support of Fonds voor Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten, (Amsterdam), Fonds Pascal Decroos voor Bijzondere Journalistiek (Brussels), Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund (New York).
With his Mexico photography, Voeten won an award in the category Foreign News in the Silvered Camera, the annual Dutch Photojournalistic Competition.
ARTICLE
(only in Dutch) Knack, 12 augustus 2009
BOOK
Title: Narco Estado
Subtitle: Drug Violence in Mexico
Author: Teun Voeten
Publisher : Uitgeverij Lannoo
ISBN: 9789401404075
Pages : 144
Publication: 18-09-2012