The Mexico Chapters: Ribbons

Ribbons, Lizzie Ridout, 2007

This is a good one. So in Mexico, you pick your saint depending on your crime or your desire, or the trend. If a particular saint seems to be working overtime to make good things happen, then everyone will of course leave offerings at their altar. That's logical enough. But also different offerings please in different ways. I only saw this one altar dressed like this, although apparently it's in vogue across the country. You write your dreams on long lengths of ribbon and drape them over the alter. Sometimes you padlock them too. To make sure no one can remove them? To lock the wish in? I'm not sure. Of course, there's also the express version: you can get pre-printed ribbons in the shops near the churches. Supply and demand… But either way, amazingly beautiful, and thought provoking. That's what a whole load of desire, or hope, looks like; its physical manifestation.