Pablo Ortiz Monasterio's "Si disparas, disparo" Reverses Power Hierarchy in 1980s Mexico City

Pablo Ortiz Monasterio's photographic collection, La última ciudad, initiated in the late 1980s, portrays Mexico City during a time of economic difficulty and significant socio-political transformation. This series highlights the political turmoil of 1988 that challenged the longstanding dominance of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) and the push for democratization. The stark disparities between wealthy and impoverished communities were intensified by the 1985 earthquake, which ignited grassroots activism. One of the notable images, Si disparas, disparo (1989), features a young man pointing a gun at the photographer, subverting traditional power relations. Other pieces, such as Volando bajo, also explore themes of hardship and poverty. Ortiz Monasterio is acknowledged as a pivotal figure in contemporary Mexican photography, chronicling the nation’s transformation from a grassroots perspective.