Cristina de Middel (born 1975) is a Spanish-Belgian documentary photographer and artist living and working in

Uruapan Uruapan () is the second largest city in the Mexico, Mexican state of Michoacán. It is located at the western edge of the Tarascan Plateau, Purépecha highlands, just to the east of the Tierra Caliente (Mexico), Tierra Caliente region. Since the c ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. She is a full member of

Magnum Photos Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in Paris, New York City, London and Tokyo. It was founded in 1947 in Paris by photographers Robert Capa, David Seymour (photographer), Davi ...

and her work is held in the

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

collection.

Early life and education

De Middel was born in

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

, Spain. She is half-Belgian, half-Spanish. She graduated with a M.A. in Photography from the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

, 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 The Autonomous University of Barcelona (; Spanish: ; ; UAB) is a public university mostly located in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. , the university consists of 57 departments in the experimental, lif ...

, Barcelona, Spain in 2002.

Life and work

De Middel spent ten years working as a

photojournalist Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (suc ...

at a Spanish newspaper. She left in 2012 to pursue personal projects. She self-published ''The Afronauts'' in 2012, a photobook about the short-lived

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

n space program in

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...

. 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." She was nominated for the 2013

Deutsche Börse Photography Prize Deutsch ( , ) or Deutsche ( , ) may refer to: * or : the German language or in particular Standard German, spoken in central European countries and other places *Old High German language refers to Deutsch as a way to define the primary characteris ...

for ''The Afronauts''. In 2017 she became a nominee member of

and in 2022 became a full member. In June 2022, she became the first Spaniard to be elected president of Magnum. 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.

Publications

Publications by De Middel

* ''The Afronauts.'' London: Self-published, 2012. . 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. . * ''Party: Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung.'' Madrid: RM; London: Archive of Modern Conflict, 2013. . Edition of 1500 copies. *''Afronauts.'' Zine Collection 12. Paris: Edition Bessard, 2014. . Edition of 300 copies. *''This is What Hatred Did.'' Mexico; Barcelona: RM Editorial / London: Archive of Modern Conflict, 2015. . With text by

Amos Tutuola Amos Tutuola (; 20 June 1920 – 8 June 1997) was a Nigerian writer who wrote books based in part on Yoruba folk-tales. Early history Amos Olatubosun Tutuola Odegbami was born on 20 June 1920, in Wasinmi, a village just a few miles outsid ...

, "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts". *''Sharkification.'' São Paulo, Brazil: Editora Madalena, 2015. . Edition of 100 copies. *''Man Jayen.'' Pamplona, Spain: Trama, 2015. . Catalogue of an exhibition held at the Museum of the

University of Navarra The University of Navarra is a private Catholic research university located on the southeast border of Pamplona, Navarre, Spain. It was founded in 1952 by Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of '' Opus Dei'', as a corporat ...

. Edition of 1000 copies. *''Cucurrucucu.'' Bilbao, Spain: This Book Is True; self-published, 2016. . With a text by Cuauhtémoc Medina. *''The Perfect Man.'' Madrid, Spain: Editorial La Fabrica, 2017. . *''Jungle Check'' Barcelona, Spain: Editorial RM, 2018. . *''Midnight at the Crossroads'' Bilbao, Spain: This Book is True; self-published, 2018. *''Preparados, Listos, Archivo.'' Madrid, Spain: Spanish Ministry of Culture, 2018. *''Gentlemen's Club'' Bilbao, Spain: This Book is True; self-published, 2023. *''The Kabuler'' Bilbao, Spain: This Book is True; self-published, 2023. *''Journey to the Center''. RM, 2024. .

Publications about de Middel

*''Cristina de Middel.'' Colleción PHotoBolsillo. Madrid: La Fábrica, 2015. .

Awards

*2013: Nominated,

for ''The Afronauts'' *2013: Infinity Award from the

International Center of Photography The International Center of Photography (ICP) is a photography museum and school at 84 Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. ICP's photographic collection, reading room, and archives are at Mana Contemporary in Jer ...

*2014: ''Party: Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung'' won

PhotoEspaña PHotoEspaña, the International Festival of Photography and Visual Arts of Madrid, is a Spanish photography festival based in Madrid, founded in 1998. It is supported by private companies and public institutions, and its program presents work by ...

's Best Photography Book, international category award *2020: Prix Virginia, award for female photographers, for ''Journey to the Center''

Exhibitions

*''Close Enough: New Perspectives from 12 Women Photographers of Magnum,''

, New York, 2022

Collections

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

, UK: 46 prints

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Middel, Cristina de Living people Spanish photographers Spanish women photographers 1975 births Documentary photographers Artists from London Magnum photographers Women photojournalists Technical University of Valencia alumni University of Oklahoma alumni Autonomous University of Barcelona alumni