“España x Magnum”, unprecedented photographic exhibition by the Magnum Photos agency, Princess of Asturias Award for Concord

Under the title “España x Magnum”, the Princess of Asturias Foundation has organized in collaboration with the Magnum Photos agency, conferred with the 2024 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord, an unprecedented photographic exhibition that offers a vision of Spain through the lenses of some of the agency's photographers. The exhibition will be open between 14th and 26th October at the La Vega Arms Factory in Oviedo as part of the institution’s “Awards Week” activities.

The photos, which belong to the agency’s archives, have been expressly selected for this exhibition by its president, Cristina de Middel, who has stated that “the exhibition does not seek to offer a definition of Spain, but rather invites us to reflect on the power that the external gaze has to shape the way we see ourselves.”

“Spain x Magnum” is made up of 112 photos that will be printed on various media and in different sizes, by 46 of the agency’s photographers, including two of its founding partners, Robert Capa and David Seymour. The images are grouped into compositions that establish surprising dialogues and whose aim is to invite viewers to create their own interpretation.

The images are accompanied by texts written by various public figures: Emilio Lamo de Espinosa, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the Complutense University, Madrid; Estrella de Diego, Professor of History at the Complutense University, Madrid; Miguel Zugaza, Director of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum; and Adela Cortina, Professor Emeritus of Moral and Political Philosophy at the University of Valencia.

According to de Middel, this exhibition “does not define Magnum or Spain, since neither a country can be explained only through images, nor can an agency take on such a huge task. What we see, rather, portrays the evolution of the press and the moments in which Spain was in the international spotlight.”

She further adds that “the selection of images presented brings a smile to my face. I recognize the clichés; I understand the fascination that our social and political transition during the last century has aroused in the photographers or publications that made these commissions. I know very well that Spain is not just that. I also know that Magnum cannot be understood solely with this slice of its archives, but, even if imperfect, the portrait is significant”.

The authors of the photographs are: Abbas, Antoine d’Agata, Alex Majoli, Eve Arnold, Olivia Arthur, Ian Berry, Robert Capa, René Burri, Bruce Davidson, Thomas Dworzak, Nikos Economopoulos, Elliott Erwitt, Leonard Freed, Stuart Franklin, Jean Gaumy, Bruce Gilden, Burt Glinn, Guy Le Querrec, Harry Gruyaert, Philippe Halsmann, Nanna Heitmann, Thomas Hoepker, David Hurn, Richard Kalvar, Carl De Keyzer, Herbert List, Peter Marlow, Steve McCurry, Susan Meiselas, Cristina de Middel, Rafal Milach, Inge Morath, Martin Parr, Georgui Pinkhassov, Mark Power, Eli Reed, Lua Ribeira, Marc Riboud, Cristina García Rodero, Moisés Saman, David Seymour, W. Eugene Smith, Chris Steele-Perkins, Gerda Taro, Alex Webb and Patrick Zachmann.