Pulula

The series The Afronauts marked the start of a new direction in the work of journalistic photographer Cristina de Middel. As a reaction to the one-sided Western coverage of the African continent with its stereotypical narratives about poverty and conflict, De Middel found inspiration in a true story from Zambia’s recent history. In 1964 the country launched an ambitious space flight programme to compete in the international space race. In The Afronauts, De Middel portrays a fictitious end to this true historical story, through which she also questions the established photo journalistic sector. In Pulula, De Middel captures a deserted otherworldly landscape with a solitary drifting cloud. In fact shot in Alicante, Spain, this photograph shows the surrealistic and mysterious atmosphere that De Middel uses to convey her message.