Many features distinguish Chile from other countries, including those in Latin America. Chile has had its fair share of political upheavals and dealt heroically with a series of natural disasters in recent years, such as devastating earthquakes. It is one of the "ring of "fire” countries that surround the Pacific Ocean. It is graced with a remarkable natural wonders, from glaciers, to the mountain peaks of the Andes and hosts allegedly the driest place on earth, the Atacama Desert. However in this volume Günther Komnick concentrates on the urban environment – the people. It is this urban environment which accentuates Chile’s ethnic mix and often fraught history. There are a number of indigenous peoples in Chile: the Mapuche, Aymara, Rapanui, Atacameño (or Likan Antai), Quechua, Colla, Chango, Diaguita, Kawésqar and Yagán peoples. The most prominent of these are the Mapuche who reigned over this fragile land until the arrival of the Spanish in the mid-16th century, displacing Inca rule. The country declared independence from Spain in 1818, with the Mapuche resistance to the imposition of Spanish settler rule coming to an end, provisionally, in the 1880s. 

     The urban fabric that Komnick illustrates here reflects this rich and contested heritage, with the people seemingly taking Komnick’s camera in their collective stride, as if to indicate that they’re used to being photographed. This lends an enchanting air of spontaneity and a sensual flair to the carefully crafted images, which belie the casual nonchalance of people embracing what their city has to offer: night life, art, entertainment and an effortless sense of belonging. 

Dr Wilhelm Snyman, Auckland, New Zealand