Gabriela V. Téllez

Bus Line # 30 station is located in Zacamil street, San Salvador. This route has a total of 41 bus units; each one should do a two hours round trip shift. Many of the bus units are decked with religious items, such as phrases, crosses, or Jesus portraits, which somehow provides a “spiritual protection” to the bus drivers who always deal with insecurity risks driving in San Salvador. ©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30

February’s featured photographer is Gabriela V. Téllez

Gabriela completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Costa Rica and earned her Photography Specialisation at the National Technical University. In 2010, she moved to France to take part in the Arles School of Photography residency. Afterward, she achieved her Contemporary Art in Creation and Studies Master’s Degree getting Art and Existence Specialisation at the University of Lille III.

She is a member of the Colectivo Nómada, an alternative visual communication platform created in Costa Rica more than a decade ago. In 2020, World Press Photo Organization chose her as one of the emerging talents for the 6×6 program. She is currently based in France developing interdisciplinary and cultural mediation projects.

La 30

The project is an exploration of the #30 bus line route in San Salvador. This work took place from November 2016 to October 2018. It pretends to show the violence experienced by the bus service users and especially the drivers, and from a latent point of view: a presence that we don’t see, but it’s perceived in the atmosphere. The country has been dominated by the violence, established in the daily people’s life from all social classes. The fact of taking a bus cannot be calmly done for anyone, its not a normal condition for the passengers, even less for the drivers who take the driving risks every day without knowing if they will be safe at the end of their shift. They just drive ignoring if the bus line owner has paid the extortion fee that street gangs demand to get the right of circulation for every bus line.

According to an article published by The New York Times in November 2016, the transport companies are particularly vulnerable to extortion, by stating that “In El Salvador, it is more dangerous to drive a bus than to fight against gangs: in the last five years gang members have killed 692 transport workers…” Through a narrative inside buses, I try to show the work space they have appropriated as a way of safeguarding themselves. I also chose to shot in two different and specific times: right before they start their safety incertitude workday and at their “reliever” ending shift.

©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30
Inside the Line #30 bus: Each bus driver decorates his unit with their own style. They use different objects such as hanging ornaments, fluffy toys, religious stickers and prayers, rosaries, coloured lights, and some others. ©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30
©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30
A wife’s driver was barely seen among the bus seats. It’s usual to see the bus driver’s relatives getting into the bus to spend some time with them or even to sleep on the buses while the drivers are in their long and hard shifts, because is the only way to be with them. ©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30
©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30
Bus coin boxes is an essential element in the bus. The cash inside the box is used for the bus driver to give the change to the passengers when they pay their ticket for the service. Each bus driver has his own coin box. However, this element amplifies the vulnerability to be assaulted. ©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30
Armando, a bus terminal security guard, was hired on the night shift to protect the buses parked on Calle Zacamil, from any damage or tires robbery, for example. His working day runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. ©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30
Armando, vigilante del plantel, fue contratado en el turno de la noche para resguardar los buses Armando, a bus terminal security guard, was hired on the night shift to protect the buses parked on Calle Zacamil, from any damage or tires robbery, for example. His working day runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. ©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30
©Gabriela V. Téllez from the series, La 30

To see more of Gabriela’s projects, here.

La fotógrafa del mes de Febrero es Gabriela V. Téllez

Gabriela V. Téllez, nace en Costa Rica. Se gradua de la escuela de Bellas Artes de la Universidad de Costa Rica y de la Universidad Técnica Nacional especializada en fotografía. En el año 2010, se trasladó a Francia para participar en la residencia de la Escuela de fotografía de Arles y posteriormente realizó la maestría en Creación y Estudios de Arte Contemporáneo, especialidad Arte y Existencia, en la Universidad de Lille III.

Gabriela es miembro del Colectivo Nómada una plataforma alternativa de comunicación visual creada en Costa Rica hace más de una década. En el año 2020 fue elegida como uno de los talentos emergentes del programa 6×6 de la organización World Press Photo. Actualmente reside en Francia desarrollando proyectos interdisciplinarios y de mediación cultural.

La 30

El proyecto La 30, es una exploración de la ruta #30 que recorre San Salvador. Las fotografías se realizaron entre noviembre del 2016 y octubre del 2018. El propósito es mostrar la violencia que experimentan los usuarios, pero especialmente los choferes de bus desde un punto de vista latente: como una presencia que no se ve, pero que se percibe en la atmósfera. La violencia que gobierna en el país ha logrado arraigarse en la cotidianidad de todos los estratos sociales, ni siquiera un acto tan sencillo como tomar el bus se hace con tranquilidad. No lo es para los usuarios y mucho menos para los choferes de bus quienes no saben si llegaran al final de su turno con vida. Desconocen si el patrón ha pagado la cuota de extorción que los pandilleros demandan a cada línea de bus para tener el derecho a circular.

Según un artículo publicado en The New York Times en noviembre 2016, las compañías de transporte son especialmente vulnerables a la extorsión, “En El Salvador, es más peligroso manejar un bus que luchar contra las pandillas: en los últimos 5 años miembros de las maras han matado a 692 trabajadores de transporte…” A través de una narrativa del interior de los buses, muestro el espacio de trabajo del cual se han apropiado, como una manera de salvaguardarse. Igualmente decidí realizar las fotografías en dos momentos determinados: antes de comenzar su jornada laboral con incertidumbre, y el alivio al llegar al final de su turno de trabajo.

Para saber más de los proyectos de Gabriela, visita su web, aquí