Cristina de Middel "I moved to Mexico in 2014 but in my mind I had been living there from way before. Unreal, surreal and so harsh at the same time, like a comedy, a drama and a romantic movie playing at the same tim
(...) e in a surreal screen. I´ve been obsessed with making the portrait of Mexico for years now, and the closer I think I get, the further I feel I am. This picture was shot near Puebla. It was the first time I saw the volcano Popocatepetl after dreaming of it so many times. I spent 3 days trying to make the picture that could explain my feelings standing so close to such a phenomenal stone beast. Using a portrait of Benito Juarez, a preeminent symbol of Mexican nationalism and resistance to foreign intervention, helped me convey the unique dynamic there is between Nature and Culture, both powerful and specially relevant now, in Mexico." Puebla. Mexico. 2019. © Cristina de Middel | Magnum Photos