Zambiza: Memoria en Blanco y Negro
The Zambiza garbage dump, a place that ceased to exist in 2002, was much more than a landfill: it was the home and livelihood of more than 50 families who, day by day, lived off what the city discarded. Through the images captured by photographer Luis Herrera R., this photographic project becomes an invaluable archive, a visual testimony that preserves the memory of Zambiza's workers and, at the same time, documents the harsh living conditions of those who depended on the garbage for food and survival.
While the photographs capture moments frozen in time, the video allows us to imagine the voices, the noises of the dump and the eloquent silences of those who struggled every day against oblivion.
Made with an analog 35mm black and white process, the project not only portrays the rawness of poverty, but also the dignity and resilience of a marginalized community. Each photograph is a fragment of history, a window into a world that many would prefer to ignore, but which is fundamental to understanding the inequalities and invisible struggles in the city of Quito.
“Zambiza: Memoria en Blanco y Negro” is not just a documentary record; it is an act of visual justice. The images capture the humanity behind the garbage, the faces, hands and gestures of those who worked in extreme conditions to survive. This project seeks to honor their memory, make their reality visible and, above all, remind us that the garbage of some was the livelihood of others.
Through this photographic archive, Luis Herrera R. invites us to reflect on the social scars left by poverty and the importance of preserving these stories so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Zambiza no longer exists, but its memory remains alive in each image, in each negative, in each story that these photographs tell us.