Cristina de Middel

Cristina de Middel (born 1975) is a Spanish documentary photographer and artist who lives and works in Mexico City. She started her career as a photojournalist for the Spanish daily newspaper "El País," covering conflict and humanitarian issues in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Later, she moved into the field of contemporary photography and exhibited her work internationally in galleries, museums, and art fairs.

De Middel is known for her use of conceptual photography and her interest in exploring the boundaries between reality and fiction. Her best-known series, "The Afronauts" (2012), is a fictional photo essay based on the true story of a failed space program that was launched in Zambia in the 1960s. The series combines staged photographs, found imagery, and original documents to create a surreal and humorous reimagining of African history.

Another notable project is "Journey to the Center," a series of photographs and videos that investigate the meaning of exploration and the role of the explorer in the 21st century. The work was inspired by Jules Verne's novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and was shot in Mexico, Iceland, and Spain.

De Middel's work has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Infinity Award for Art from the International Center of Photography, the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, and the PHotoEspaña Best Photography Book of the Year award. Her work is held in several public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.