About

Bats’i Lab fosters dialogue on social justice through the creation of visual narratives and documentary photography in the South of Mexico, particularly Chiapas. We provide analog and digital photography and printing resources for projects, exhibits and publications, as well as editorial, networking and capacity-building opportunities. Through our work, Bats´i Lab seeks to expand national and international exposure and development opportunities for local photographers. The name Bats’i Lab refers to the Tzeltal concept of “authentic spirit”, reflecting the importance of self- and collective representation in the Mayan culture of the Highlands of Chiapas, where we are based.

Over the last 3 years, we have supported the production of close to 15 exhibits and the development of 6 documentary photography projects in the region. Themes covered include the history of land struggles and the trajectory of coffee production in Pueblo Nuevo; community loss and violence over territory in Aldama; the current situation of migration and displacement from Central America and the response of receiving communities along Mexico’s southern border; long-term documentation of internal and international displacement of Mayan communities from Guatemala and in Chiapas since the 1980s; indigenous narratives about land among Zapotec farmers; feminicide and the experience of absence; and the effects of the war of attrition experienced by Mayan and Zapatista communities in Chiapas since the 1990s. 

Bats'i Lab started out of an exploration between Galería Muy, and photographers based in San Cristóbal. It functions as a collaborative group that fosters volunteer participation and seeks to mobilize resources to expand the presence of photography in Chiapas.

For more information contact us through Facebook, Instagram or by email (info@batsilab.org).