Franz Mangel is an observer who finds in the chaos of Mexico City a captivating visual poetics. Arriving from less chaotic landscapes such as Berlin and New York just 4 months ago, his photographic approach in CDMX is an attempt to capture the richness of its contrasts: the amalgam of emotions between bustle and stillness, the waiting of passers-by on urban corners, and the tenderness of couples who love each other without reserve on the street.
Each step in his daily walk from Coyoacán to the heart of the city becomes an intuitive search for light and the unforeseen moments that can only emerge in a space as free and unregulated as the Mexican streets. For Franz, beauty in CDMX springs from its visual conflicts, from the tension between the everyday and the sublime. His photographs bear witness to his fascination with a city that lives and breathes with intensity, where urban aesthetics flow between joy and an indefinable longing, resonating in his own German sense of "Sehnsucht" or longing.
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How does the city influence your photographic style and approach?
The city is very chaotic, there is a certain audiovisual cacophony, but at the same time there is a lot of beauty. It's something I feel deeply every day I'm here and I want to represent that in my photos, in an authentic way, respecting the spirit of the place.
What stories do you seek to tell with your photos of the CDMX?
Something I've noticed here a lot, more than in other places where I've taken photos, is that there are people waiting, without it being clear what, in various places and in different ways. Over time, that has evolved from a perception to a feeling. It's something I try to address in my photography.
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How has your perception of CDMX changed since you started photographing it?
It hasn't been long since I arrived in the city, only about four months. So, I haven't had much time to change my perception. Everything is still new.
At first, the city overwhelmed me a bit. I was also not well accustomed to as much rain and storms as there were. That weighed on me a lot because my photography lives off the energy of the street. But now, with the sun, the experience is different and kinder. Finally, I've started to notice more particular situations. For example, I love how couples love each other in public so openly. They are very affectionate with each other. It's something I haven't seen like that in New York or before, living in Berlin.
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Do you have any routine or ritual when you go out to photograph the city?
I often leave at noon from where I live, in Coyoacán, and just keep walking north, guided by the light. That way I get to Roma and from there I turn to other places, like Juárez or the Zócalo. I usually walk without a fixed destination. I don't have a ritual, but I have fallen in love with horchata; I drink it many times during my walks.
What is your favorite space in CDMX?
I love living in Coyoacán. I like the balance between the hectic life downtown and the tranquility of the many small plazas, with their many trees, and strolling through the nurseries.
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What do you think makes CDMX visually unique compared to other cities?
The free use of public space. In other cities where I have lived, there are more regulations about what space is dedicated for what activity. Here, people use the street in every possible way. There are vendors and so many stalls that, first of all, create many interesting visual relationships, and then promote pedestrian movements that result in unexpected and surprising moments.
How do you see the relationship between the chaos of the city and its beauty?
For me, chaos is the basis for having beauty in life. And here there are many visual conflicts from which poetic situations can emerge.
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What emotions does CDMX inspire in you when you are behind the camera?
It is a tension between joy and darker feelings. When I refer to the waiting that I observe, an emotion arises that in German is described as "Sehnsucht" or anhelo in Spanish. It is very similar to "saudade" in Portuguese.
Top 3 must-sees in the city
- I love the Cineteca in Coyoacán. There is always something good to see every week.
- My best experience eating tacos was at the stand Tacos "El Paisa" stand near the San Cosme subway. They are all very tasty and cheap. Also, visually it is very appetizing to see the taqueros cooking and preparing the orders. You have to be patient because there are always a lot of people visiting.
- The chamorro in El Sella.
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