Cristina de Middel

Cristina de Middel
Born	1975 (age 49–50) Alicante, Spain
Nationality	Spain-Belgium
Alma mater	University of Oklahoma Technical University of Valencia Autonomous University of Barcelona
Known for	Photography
Notable work	The Afronauts
Awards	Publication – International Center of Photography Infinity Award 2013 The Afronauts
Website	www.lademiddel.com

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

• 2013: Nominated, Deutsche Börse Photography Prize for The Afronauts ^[12]
• 2013: Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography ^[17]
• 2014: Party: Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung won PhotoEspaña's Best Photography Book, international category award ^[18]
• 2020: Prix Virginia, award for female photographers, for Journey to the Center ^[16]

Exhibitions

• Close Enough: New Perspectives from 12 Women Photographers of Magnum, International Center of Photography, New York, 2022 ^[19]

Collections

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

• Colección Banco Sabadelli, Spain
• Deutsche Börse Foundation, Germany
• Tate Modern, UK
• Colección de la Generalitat Valenciana, Spain
• Archive of Modern Conflict, Canada and UK
• MUN - Museo de la Universidad de Navarra, Spain
• Museo de la Universidad de Alicante, Spain
• MACE - Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Ibiza, Spain

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. "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. 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. 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.

External links

• Official website