00:00The Magnum agency has been recognized with the Princess of Asturias Award at Concordia 2024.
00:19The jury has highlighted the social work that is done from the agency through photography.
00:25Today we are attended by its president, Cristina de Midell.
00:28Good afternoon, thank you for welcoming us.
00:30Thank you very much, it's a pleasure to be with you.
00:32For welcoming us in a hurry, because it comes from one event and then you have to go to another.
00:36How is it in Oviedo and how do you receive this award?
00:39It's been very nice, the affection of the whole organization of the Princess of Asturias Foundation
00:44and also of the people of Oviedo, who go down the street and smile at you and greet you.
00:50Have they stopped you? Have they said something to you?
00:52Well, they tell me congratulations for the award, that they are very proud and it is also exciting to see it.
00:58How beautiful.
00:59Cristina, in particular, the award is given to Concordia, that social work of the agency,
01:04which seems to have been recognized in that beautiful aspect, to promote a better world.
01:11Choosing the award at Concordia for Magnum draws attention,
01:15and it is a point, a call of attention to everyone, to how important it is today
01:21and how important it is becoming to have a kind of confidence in the images.
01:27We are a bit like the anchor within a society that is increasingly visual.
01:31That the image is reliable is fundamental, something fundamental has been done.
01:37The founders of the Magnum agency are considered the parents of photojournalism,
01:43which has also been highlighted by the jury.
01:45What is photojournalism then, if it was born in your agency, in which you preside now?
01:50Sadly, a profession in danger of extinction, because of everything we are talking about.
01:57There are fewer and fewer means, there is less and less money to make stories
02:03and tell stories with the depth they deserve.
02:06The curious thing is that the world becomes something much more difficult to explain
02:09and at the same time there are far fewer means to explain it properly.
02:13For example, these weeks there have already been several alternative versions
02:19generated by artificial intelligence of the crisis of the Balseros in Cuba
02:23or of the very disembarkation of Normandy,
02:26because there is all this legend that Capa got his wheels damaged
02:30and there is only a very limited number of shots.
02:33Well, there is an artist, a man who has dedicated himself to completing that.
02:38In Euronews, as a news media,
02:41we have witnessed this increase of misinformation.
02:44We have launched a program, Euroverify, to verify the bullets that are currently there.
02:49But this also, as you are explaining, affects the image
02:52through deepfake, through modification with artificial intelligence.
02:57This generates a really worrying scenario for the photographic sector.
03:01Yes, it is worrying, but it is worrying for the photographic sector at the business level
03:06because, logically, anyone with 15 years and a computer
03:10can create the work of years or decades of research.
03:16But I think it is more worrying for the audience.
03:19We are going to have to adapt, just as we have adapted
03:22when from black and white to colour,
03:25when from analog to digital,
03:28when from print to website.
03:31So we will adapt and there will be less or there will be more, we do not know.
03:35But where the real danger is, is in the audience.
03:37Those who have to adapt are the audience.
03:40A career in which you have seen this transformation,
03:43before you told us from black and white to colour, from colour to digital,
03:48and now you see yourself surrounded by photographic cameras
03:52because each one of us has one on the mobile phone,
03:55and many times it is the citizens themselves who immortalize historical events.
03:59Yes, the fact that everything, and this is my personal vision,
04:02and surely there are colleagues who do not agree at all,
04:05but they are asking me.
04:06Of course, it is what interests us.
04:09For me, the fact that everyone is taking pictures is good.
04:13It is good news, everyone speaks photography,
04:16everyone communicates with images.
04:18How can we complain about that?
04:20The only thing is that just as everyone knows how to write,
04:23it does not mean that everyone is a literary author.
04:27There are also those who consider this edition of the awards,
04:30in a way, something feminist.
04:33There is Carolina MarĆn, the princess herself,
04:36for the first time she is going to close the gala with her speech.
04:39Is it difficult in photography for women like you
04:42to get to the position you are in?
04:45Well, I think that, in general,
04:48we have some things that are more difficult.
04:51I think that things are changing, even from Magnus.
04:56I am president of an agency that has less than 10%
05:00of women's representation.
05:02Trying to change it, I am not the only one,
05:05but it is a slow process.
05:07I think that, deep down, the trend is good,
05:10the only thing is that it goes very slowly everywhere.
05:12But I also, at the level of strategy,
05:15and I don't know if it is what has helped me to get where I am,
05:18is not to ignore it, but not to include it in my equation.
05:23That is there, that is my context.
05:25And within this context, I will get as far as I can.
05:28If I include it in my equation, you start to victimize yourself,
05:31you start to have to justify yourself,
05:33and I prefer not to.
05:35This is how it is, well, let's move on.
05:37Of course, with that context, you have to work,
05:39you have to keep making progress.
05:41And in your case, that path has led you to get
05:44some of the most important awards in the world,
05:46the National Photography Award, the Princess of Asturias.
05:49When I see all that baggage, also being so young,
05:52because they are awards...
05:53Well, I am almost 50.
05:55Well, but there are people who get those awards
05:58at the end of their career, right?
06:00People who have gotten them perhaps soon.
06:02How do you interpret it?
06:04How do you feel when you see that path?
06:06Well, the truth is, now it is impossible not to do,
06:09for example, this week, look back and say,
06:12well, my mother is also here,
06:14and it is like, my mother is very excited.
06:16And of course, I try to control the emotions
06:19and move forward, which is what we were talking about before.
06:22Well, yes, it is very exciting and you have to look back
06:24and be proud.
06:26I haven't had much support.
06:29And it is always like, are you crazy?
06:31Well, it is the same.
06:33Madness should be fed more, I don't know.
06:36You have to be a little brave.
06:38Madness, sometimes, as Machado said,
06:40madness is the sensible thing, sometimes.
06:42Many times, yes, but also,
06:44I mean, I don't want to make an allegation here
06:46in favor of, let's all go crazy.
06:48I have also made decisions that go in that direction.
06:51I am not married, I have no children,
06:53I have a house, I am 50 years old
06:55and I am buying a house now.
06:57I have always prioritized my career.
06:59You are right now in Oviedo,
07:01you know perfectly well Africa, Asia,
07:03you live in Latin America, the United States.
07:05What does Oviedo have?
07:07What do you see at the photographic level?
07:09How is the light? What does it look like?
07:11There is a spectacular light.
07:13You see things very well.
07:15It is a light that allows you to see very well
07:17and that draws attention.
07:19How beautiful.
07:21At the level of light, at the level of experience
07:23with the people of Oviedo.
07:25Thank you very much.
07:27Thank you very much.
Comments