Insecure


  • Photographer
    Tom King
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Date of Photograph
    Jan-Jun 2014
  • Technical Info
    Mamiya RB67 Kodak Porta 160

This series of photographs focuses on the places where walls and fences have been built between communities in the Mexican city of Monterrey.

Story

This series of photographs focuses on the places where walls and fences have been built between communities in the Mexican city of Monterrey. Mexico as a whole has one of the largest populations in the world living in these so called "gated communities". Neighbourhoods where high surrounding walls, gated entrance points, and private security guards restrict public access. In recent years Mexico and Monterrey have suffered from unusually high levels of violent crime related to the international narcotics industry. Personal security has become a relevant topic for everyone, and these walls can certainly be said to reflect people’s preoccupations with this issue. However, even if they are some form of reaction to violent crime, I would question whether such division is healthy for the overall future of any society, and if there are not other means to deal with such issues. In a country where polls show the vast majority of people mistrust the police and don’t report crime, these walls not only represent worries over crime, but also a lack of confidence in public institutions to deal effectively with it. Mexico is also a highly unequal country, where a minority enjoys the fruits of modern society, while around fifty percent of the population is registered as living in poverty. I feel, while these walls are built in the name of security, they also reflect a worrying tendency towards increased segregation, mistrust of the other, and an entrenchment of socioeconomic inequality. Such walls have become the markers of economic capacity where those left on the outside are usually those with much less. Peace of mind is no longer based on an individual’s rights as a citizen of the state, but rather their ability to pay for security from a private company. Real estate companies promote the necessity of paying for such privileges, while at the same time demoting the jurisdiction of the public policing services and judiciary to those who can’t afford these extra services. Poverty and crime often go hand in hand, and while such walls may protect a few, I would argue they are not long-term solutions to a stable and peaceful society.

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