La Salada

The neo-liberal era of the 90s has not only led to street protests of the Argentine society: The "Salada", one of the largest illegal markets worldwide is another response to the crisis. Only 30% of Argentina's textiles are produced under lawful conditions, the other 70% take place in the surroundings of the Salada. Corruption, illegal textile workshops, child labor, drug trafficking and the dream of making quick money characterize this place in constant transition between poverty and hope, between black market and legal economy in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. The Salada Project was an interdisciplinary project together with Matias Dewey, argentinean sociologist from the Max Planck Institute in Cologne, Germany. The photos are the result of a month-long work in the labyrinth of the Salada.