Cristina de Middel (born 1975) is a Spanish-Belgian documentary photographer and artist living and working in Uruapan, Mexico.[1][2] She is a full member of Magnum Photos and her work is held in the Tate collection.[3]

Early life and education

De Middel was born in Alicante, Spain. She is half-Belgian, half-Spanish.[4][5]

She graduated with a M.A. in Photography from the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma, USA in 2000; with a M.A. in Fine Arts from the Technical University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain in 2001; and with a Postgraduate Degree in Photojournalism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain in 2002.[6]

Life and work

De Middel spent ten years working as a photojournalist at a Spanish newspaper. She left in 2012 to pursue personal projects.[7][8]

She self-published The Afronauts in 2012, a photobook about the short-lived Zambian space program in Southern Africa. The book explored the history of the failed 1960s space program through staged re-enactments, challenging "viewers' perceptions about what's real and what's not."[9][10][11] She was nominated for the 2013 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize for The Afronauts.[12]

In 2017 she became a nominee member of Magnum Photos and in 2022 became a full member.[13][14] In June 2022, she became the first Spaniard to be elected president of Magnum.[15]

In Journey to the Center (2024), De Middel documented the caravans of migrants who travelled through Mexico from its southern border with Guatemala to Felicity, a small town in California.[16]

Publications

Publications by De Middel

  • The Afronauts. London: Self-published, 2012. ISBN 9788461585960. Edition of 1000 copies.
    • Second edition. Bilbao, Spain: This Book Is True, 2016. Edition of 1500 copies.
  • Vida Y Milagros de Paula P (Life and Miracles of Paula P). Alicante, Spain: Museo de la Universidad de Alicante, 2009. Edition of 500 copies. Spanish. Early work featuring the "real story of a fake prostitute" Paula P.
  • SPBH Book Club Vol III. London: Self Publish, Be Happy, 2013. Edition of 500 copies. ASIN B00D18UQ0C.
  • Party: Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung. Madrid: RM; London: Archive of Modern Conflict, 2013. ISBN 9788415118671. Edition of 1500 copies.
  • Afronauts. Zine Collection 12. Paris: Edition Bessard, 2014. ISBN 979-10-91406-02-4. Edition of 300 copies.
  • This is What Hatred Did. Mexico; Barcelona: RM Editorial / London: Archive of Modern Conflict, 2015. ISBN 9780992941383. With text by Amos Tutuola, "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts".
  • Sharkification. São Paulo, Brazil: Editora Madalena, 2015. ISBN 9788569557074. Edition of 100 copies.
  • Man Jayen. Pamplona, Spain: Trama, 2015. ISBN 978-84-8081-473-7. Catalogue of an exhibition held at the Museum of the University of Navarra. Edition of 1000 copies.
  • Cucurrucucu. Bilbao, Spain: This Book Is True; self-published, 2016. ISBN 978-84-16282-65-4. With a text by Cuauhtémoc Medina.
  • The Perfect Man. Madrid, Spain: Editorial La Fabrica, 2017. ISBN 9788417048396.
  • Jungle Check Barcelona, Spain: Editorial RM, 2018. ISBN 978-84-17047-71-9.
  • Midnight at the Crossroads Bilbao, Spain: This Book is True; self-published, 2018.
  • Preparados, Listos, Archivo. Madrid, Spain: Spanish Ministry of Culture, 2018. ISBN 978-84-8181-724-9
  • Gentlemen's Club Bilbao, Spain: This Book is True; self-published, 2023. ISBN 9788448268459
  • The Kabuler Bilbao, Spain: This Book is True; self-published, 2023.
  • Journey to the Center. RM, 2024. ISBN 9788410290006.

Publications about de Middel

  • Cristina de Middel. Colleción PHotoBolsillo. Madrid: La Fábrica, 2015. ISBN 978-8416248230.

Awards

Exhibitions

Collections

De Middel's work is held in the following permanent collection:

References

  1. ^ "Cristina de Middel". Vogue.it. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  2. ^ ""The Afronauts" exhibition at Quai1: Cristina de Middel". Lanewgallery.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Cristina de Middel born 1975". Tate. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  4. ^ Ghosh, Ravi. "'Imagine the photo project is a conference': An audience with Magnum's Cristina de Middel - 1854 Photography". www.1854.photography. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  5. ^ Davies, Lucy (8 June 2014). "Cristina de Middel: The Afronauts". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Cristina de Middel". www.deutscheboersephotographyfoundation.org. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  7. ^ Smyth, Diane. "Excess exposed by Cristina de Middel and Bruno Morais - 1854 Photography". www.1854.photography. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Cristina de Middel is on a quest to photograph the fantastical". Huck. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  9. ^ Kermeliotis, Teo (2 May 2013). "Afronauts: Fictional photos recall forgotten Zambian space program". CNN. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  10. ^ O'Hagan, Sean (14 April 2013). "How photographers joined the self-publishing revolution". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Cristina De Middel : The Mongonauts". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  12. ^ a b Courtesy of the artist and the Photographers' Gallery, London (26 November 2012). "Deutsche Börse photography prize: 2013 shortlist – in pictures". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  13. ^ "Cristina de Middel • Magnum Photos". Magnum Photos. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  14. ^ "Cristina de Middel • Magnum Photos Magnum Photos". Magnum Photos. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  15. ^ Morales, Manuel (1 July 2022). "La fotógrafa Cristina de Middel, primera española en ocupar la presidencia de Magnum" [The photographer Cristina de Middel, the first Spaniard to occupy the presidency of Magnum]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  16. ^ a b Adams, Tim (21 February 2021). "The big picture: Cristina de Middel's fantastical take on the migrant story". The Observer. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  17. ^ "Cristina de Middel". Icp.org. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  18. ^ "PhotoEspaña Discovery Award". British Journal of Photography. 161 (7826). Apptitude Media: 7. 2014.
  19. ^ "Close Enough: New Perspectives from 12 Women Photographers of Magnum". International Center of Photography. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristina_de_Middel
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