A portrait of Guatemala’s rapidly evolving youth culture

For decades, Guatemala was frozen in time, photographer Juan Brenner tells Dazed. Held down by colonisation, civil wars and natural disasters, the Mesoamerican country had historically lagged behind its Latin American counterparts. But, in recent years, all of that is changing. “Now, Guatemala has the second highest smartphones per capita in all of Latin America, which is insane,” he explains, reflecting on the profound societal shifts documented in his new photobook Genesis (published by Guest Editions). “Gen Z in the Guatemalan Highlands are the first generation to have intelligible communication with their peers all over the world.”

“The internet definitely plays a part,” Brenner continues, “But also not being dependent on the centralisation of Guatemala City. Gen Z are able to follow their own path without having to experience city life. They speak Spanish, they speak their Mayan mother tongue, and many of them are learning English at a rapid pace. Social media is changing everything.”

It’s a sudden emergence into the digital age and one that the Guatemalan-born photographer encountered largely by accident while undergoing a significant upheaval in his own circumstances. “I lived in New York and worked as a fashion photographer from 1998 to 2009, but the lifestyle, the partying, the drugs were taking over my life,” he explains with a sigh. “I had to go back to Guatemala to save my life, basically.”

While coming to terms with a rural life worlds away from the febrile New York fashion scene, Brenner stumbled upon fresh inspiration. Reconsidering his practice as a photographer, he decided to retrace the steps of 17th-century Spanish conquistador Pedro Alvarado and, on this expedition, he witnessed firsthand how smartphones amounted to a new wave of international influences sweeping the nation.

Along this journey, one metaphor in particular captured this confluence of past and present in Gen-Z Guatemalans: gold grills. “Gold was the main reason everyone came to the New World. I was in desperate search of gold, but [instead] I kept encountering these images of intricate metalwork in people’s mouths,” he explains. “It’s actually a circular story. The Mayans would put conch bone and jade in their mouths over 2,000 years ago. Then, more recent generations would put gold and silver in their mouths as dental implants, as part of their dental hygiene.”

These kids unknowingly meet at the intersection of tradition, culture and technology... They’re fighting against many ideas: ideas of colonisation, of imperialism, of neo-colonialism; they’re equipped to deal with these developments in a very unique way – Juan Brenner

“Now, the new generations are using metal alloys from China,” Brenner continues, describing the numerous shots of young people’s teeth that populate the photobook. “They are not gold, but it’s a beautiful thing, and it’s everywhere. These new generations are inspired by reggaeton, hip hop and corridos tumbados – hugely important genres. So, the biggest chapter in the book is dedicated to gold, and the obsession with shine that we have in the Highlands.”

“These kids unknowingly meet at the intersection of tradition, culture and technology,” says Brenner, “There’s a huge scare from purists and indigenous radicals that think the new generation is going to forget the old traditions, but these kids are way too smart. They’re fighting against many ideas: ideas of colonisation, of imperialism, of neo-colonialism; they’re equipped to deal with these developments in a very unique way.”

As he spoke with such unbridled optimism for the future of Guatemalan youth, somewhat of a full circle moment began to emerge for Brenner himself. Venturing out from the Highlands decades ago, he was nearly lost in the maelstrom of the 21st century, in the partying and temptations of the modern world. Now, returning to his homeland, he is more poised than most to appreciate just how profound these new developments are: the next generation of Guatemalans are now able to take on the world on their own terms, bringing the benefits of globalisation to them and without compromising on their rich cultural history.

“My biggest fantasy is that one of these kids I photographed becomes the first Indigenous president of Guatemala,” says Brenner. “I firmly believe that the moment our country changes for the better is when all these ancestral ideas are mixed with the new ideas of social dynamics, anthropology and history. When an Indigenous person from the Highlands takes power, that is the moment we’re going to change as a nation.” 

Genesis launches tonight (from 6-9pm on 14 November 2024) with an event at Guest Editions (Hackney Downs Studios, Hanger 3, London). The book is available to purchase here, and a selection of images can be found in the gallery above.