Gallery: Welcome to the Bolivian Mountains, Where Magical Realism Is a Way of Life

  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person and Costume
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    01

    waska-tatay-web-03

    Waska Tatay is part ethnography, part picture-book fairy tale.
  • Image may contain Human Person Tree Plant and Outdoors
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    02

    waska-tatay-web-01

    The photography book catalogues three months that Swiss photographer Thomas Rousset and designer Rapaƫl Verona spent in Bolivia.
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Electronics Monitor Display Screen and Costume
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    03

    waska-tatay-web-10

    The mountainous area is home to some 2 million indigenous people who practice a peculiar blend of Roman Catholicism (a remnant of Spanish colonization), and Aymara mythology.
  • Image may contain Wood Plywood Clothing Apparel and Hardwood
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    04

    waska-tatay-web-11

    Waska Tatay focuses on these people, and the fantastically ornate costumes and garb they wear in honor of their mythology.
  • Image may contain Wood Flooring Human Person Hardwood Floor Clothing and Apparel
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    05

    waska-tatay-web-04

    Each costume honors a spirit or is an expression of a folk legend.
  • Image may contain Wood Clothing Apparel Flooring Human Person and Costume
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    06

    waska-tatay-web-24

    Rather than just photograph the costumes and the iconography like photojournalists, Rousset and Verona decided to stage some of the photos and create a mise en scĆØne directly inspired by magical realism.
  • Image may contain Home Decor Furniture Human Person Couch Table Lisa del Giocondo Living Room Room and Indoors
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    07

    waska-tatay-web-12

    Costumed characters arenā€™t always in parades or at ceremonies.
  • Image may contain Lamp Table Lamp Indoors Interior Design Room Living Room Furniture Human and Person
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    08

    waska-tatay-web-08

    Theyā€™re sitting at a drafting table, bent over work supplies. Two women perch on a desk near modern appliances, like televisions.
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Footwear Shoe Human Person Costume and Flooring
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    09

    waska-tatay-web-07

    This was by design, to blend fiction and reality for the viewer.
  • Image may contain Money and Plant
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    10

    waska-tatay-web-22

    Here, a traditional tribute to Pachamama, or the Aymara mother earth.
  • Image may contain Building Architecture Amusement Park and Theme Park
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaƫl Verona
    11

    waska-tatay-web-23

    A Bolivian child's toy castle was included as well, to play up the theme of fairy tale.
Read More
Newly Deciphered Sabotage Malware May Have Targeted Iranā€™s Nuclear Program—and Predates Stuxnet
Researchers have finally cracked Fast16, mysterious code capable of silently tampering with calculation and simulation software. It was created in 2005—and likely deployed by the US or an ally.
Andy Greenberg
Rednote Draws a Line Between China and the World
As the platform expands abroad, itā€™s taking steps to separate Chinese users from the international audiences it once brought together.
Zeyi Yang
Appleā€™s Next Chapter, SpaceX and Cursor Strike a Deal, and Palantirā€™s Controversial Manifesto
In this weekā€™s episode of Uncanny Valley, we talk about Tim Cookā€™s legacy as CEO at Apple and what his long-rumored departure means for the future of one of the world's biggest companies.
Brian Barrett
At 'AI Coachella,' Stanford Students Line Up to Learn From Silicon Valley Royalty
CS 153 has gone viral on the Palo Alto campus—and on X. Not everyone is happy about it.
Maxwell Zeff
Palantir Employees Are Starting to Wonder if They're the Bad Guys
Interviews with current and former Palantir employees, along with internal Slack messages obtained by WIRED, suggest a workforce in turmoil.
Makena Kelly
This Is the Only Office Lamp That Does Double Duty on My Nightstand
Portable lamps are rarely, if ever, as powerful, precise, and multipurpose as the Lume Cube Edge Light Go.
Matthew Korfhage
These New Smart Glasses From Ex-OnePlus Engineers Have a Hidden Cost
The Kickstarter-funded glasses from L'Atitude 52Ā°N have AI features bundled for one year, but the company doesn't know yet how much it will charge for access after that.
Boone Ashworth
The Best Pool-Cleaning Robots for a Truly Automated Summer
Send the pool guy packing. One of these robotic buddies can maintain your water quality instead.
Christopher Null
The Best Fitbit Models for Every Lifestyle
The fitness trackers I'd recommend to beginners, athletes, and kids.
Boutayna Chokrane
Robot Vacuums That Don't Suck (Unless It's Dirt)
Tired of vacuuming? Hand the reins to a robot vacuum.
Nena Farrell
They Made D4vd a Star. Now They Want Him Convicted of Murder
A legion of young fans propelled the singer D4vd to viral fame. Now that heā€™s been charged with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, they say the clues were in their Discord all along.
Jennifer Swann
Your Shower Water Might Be Messing With Your Hair and Skin—These Filters Help
I tested leading filtered showerheads to see how well they remove total chlorine from your water.
Matthew Korfhage