Documenting Guatemala’s Post-Genocide: Polarization, Extractivism and Migration with James Rodríguez

When and Where

Thursday, October 16, 2025 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Jackman Humanities Building
170 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5R 2M8

Speakers

James Rodríguez

Description

About the lecture:

For the past two decades, Mexico-US photographer James Rodríguez has visually documented the effects of the Guatemalan war (1960-1996). The fragile search for peace and justice has been constantly destabilized by internal power struggles, foreign extractive industries - particularly Canadian mining companies - and structural racism. James will develop these issues via his long-term photography work compiled in his new photo book Land of Trees.

About the speaker:

James Rodríguez (Mexico-US) is a Guatemala-based documentary photographer focusing on post-war processes, human rights issues, migration, climate change, land tenure and social conflicts in Mexico and Central America.

James has been published and/or completed assignments for the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, Le Monde, New York Times, NPR, Vogue, Toronto Star, among others. In 2020, James received a National Geographic Society COVID emergency grant.

Prizes include first place in the 2015 POY Latin America in the “story with a phone camera” category and is a recipient of Mexico’s National System for Art Creators (SNCA) grant.

His 2024 photobook Land and Trees documents 20 years of social conflicts and territorial resistance to extractive projects within the context of the fragile post-war processes in Guatemala.

 

 

Map

170 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5R 2M8

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