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, Raphaël 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, Raphaël Verona
    02

    waska-tatay-web-01

    The photography book catalogues three months that Swiss photographer Thomas Rousset and designer Rapaël Verona spent in Bolivia.
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Electronics Monitor Display Screen and Costume
    Photo: Thomas Rousset, Raphaël 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, Raphaël 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, Raphaël 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, Raphaël 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 scène 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, Raphaël Verona
    07

    waska-tatay-web-12

    Costumed characters aren’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, Raphaël Verona
    08

    waska-tatay-web-08

    They’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, Raphaël 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, Raphaël 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, Raphaël 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
A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why
Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.
Stephanie Pearson
The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For
AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.
Miles Klee
It’s a Tablet! It’s a Laptop! After Testing the Best 2-in-1s, Here’s What I Recommend
Whether you want a detachable tablet or a laptop screen that spins, these 2-in-1 devices manage to balance being both a tablet and a laptop.
Luke Larsen
There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making Luxury Ice at Home
Nice ice is big business, but you can get perfectly clear cubes at home without freezing your assets.
Jeremy White
The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones
As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.
Miles Klee
Mammotion’s Spino E1 Pool Cleaner Isn’t Bad for the Price—It's Just Not That Good
This compact pool robot keeps its price down, but its performance doesn’t match that of more capable cleaners.
Christopher Null
The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App
The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.
Matthew Korfhage
Crimson Desert Is a Cat Dad Simulator
Step into the shoes of the strongest, goodest boy in a game that is beautiful, baffling, and impossible to put down.
This At-Home Hair Color Printer Raised My Blood Pressure
This hair dye printer promises hundreds of shades. It couldn't even manage two.
Louryn Strampe
I Tested the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air. Here's Which One You Should Buy
After conducting long-term testing on both the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air, I have a good idea who should buy which laptop.
Luke Larsen
The Best Electric Cargo Bikes for Carrying This and That Everywhere
You don't need a car to tote around kids and cup holders. I rode cargo ebikes for miles to find the best one for your buck.
Adrienne So
Your Push Notifications Aren’t Safe From the FBI
Plus: Iran’s internet blackout hits the 1,000-hour mark, cryptocurrency scams result in a record amount of money stolen from Americans, and more.
Matt Burgess