by Danielle Miranda, Art and Media Editor
This photo by Adalberto Rios Szalay shows the famous Cathedral in Zocalo Square, Mexico City. This Cathedral is one of the biggest attractions in Mexico City for tourists; this photograph was taken in 2005 and you can clearly see the amount of foot traffic the Cathedral would get. Now the only foot traffic this square sees is the local people from the city. It gives me two different feelings: what traveling was like before COVID-19, and how a photograph can encapsulate so much of culture. We see a life that now seems very foreign to us due to being in quarantine for almost nine months. It also seems like life will not be going back to this relaxed state for a while. This is why I love looking at this image; it brings back a sense of normalcy.
If you observe the photo closely you can see that across from the Cathedral children are playing together in the square. You can also see the people walking closely together on the street. To the right of the Cathedral, you can see the crowd of people gathering together just going about their day. Maybe this is still what is happening in Mexico, but here in the United States, this seems like a dream. A dream that can’t be reached. Today, you aren’t able to go anywhere without a mask. The scariest thing is that nobody is able to tell you when we will be able to ditch the face masks. Traveling has also been out of the question for many. An alternative way to travel is by looking at different pieces of artwork. It can put you in a different place, or even remind you of a good memory from past travels.
Even if you aren’t Catholic, you can appreciate the amazing architecture of the Cathedral. It is one of the oldest cathedrals, and many architectures worked on it. Mexico City sits on what used to be Tenochtitlan/Aztec Empire, and many people are just as interested in the history of the Aztec Empire and going to the Square to see what remains of it. Even if you aren’t from a Mexican heritage it can teach you a lot about the country and culture and what it was founded upon. This square also holds a lot of the main festivities that are held in Mexico. When a new president is elected people gather together in the middle of the square to ring the bell and yell “Viva Mexico!” It also hosts different types of festivals for the locals. My family is from Mexico, so it is a place that I think about visiting often. I am hopeful that soon we will be able to enjoy our lives without the stress of this global pandemic, and that we will be able to be as free as those in this photograph.
Danielle Miranda was born and raised in El Paso, Tx. She is one of DiN's Art and Media Editors who is studying English with a minor in Literature.
In 1984, I rode the train from Ciudad Juárez to Mexico City. Thirty-six hours! And I remember the Zocalo because back then every Sunday the plaza would fill with huge crowds of anti-government demonstrators, mostly students and police, and I got to see this. I also highly recommend that you read "Irma Voss" by Miriam Toews, about a young Mexican Mennonite woman from Chihuahua who runs away from he family to Mexico City; she has a Zocalo scene. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10238952-irma-voth