Published by Editorial RM, Cristina de Middel’s “Journey to the Center” is a powerful visual investigation of the migration route through Mexico.
Middel began the project in 2015 while living in Mexico, during the early stages of the U.S. election campaign. Donald Trump had recently announced his candidacy, and migration from Mexico to the U.S. had become a polarizing talking point on both sides of the border.
Migrants—who had been crossing for decades—were now being reduced to a narrow and often criminalized narrative, one that presented them as people simply “running away.”
The book’s title is a nod to Jules Verne’s classic 1864 science fiction novel Journey to the Center of the Earth. De Middel cleverly subverts the traditional narrative of migration, shifting it from fear and escape to a more heroic, adventurous journey, echoing the spirit of Verne’s protagonists as they embark on their epic expedition.
Born in Spain, Magnum photographer De Middel is, above all, a storyteller, though not in the traditional sense. After a ten-year career as a photojournalist, she moved toward a more creative and conceptual form of expression, beginning in 2012, with her critically acclaimed work The Afronauts, a striking reinterpretation of a failed Zambian space program in the 1960s, told through staged reenactments that challenged conventional depictions of the African continent.
Her work is rooted in the belief that mass media often distorts our understanding of complex global issues. She creates powerful bodies of work that blend documentary and conceptual photography, blurring reality and fiction to explore the ambiguous relationship between photography and truth and thereby encourage a deeper understanding of her subjects.
For Journey to the Center, De Middel spent several years traveling across Mexico. She joined migrants riding the infamous train known as “the Beast”, and interviewed sicarios (hitmen), coyotes (smugglers), and police officers, to create a truly compelling body of work.
Harsh landscapes are intertwined with striking portraits, objects De Middel discovered in the desert, and archival images, creating a layered narrative rich in symbolism and a looming sense of foreboding.
The work is both surreal and informative, infused with elements of magical realism, yet, the stark imagery of barbed-wire fences and the sobering testimonies of three migrants, whose stories punctuate the visual journey, pull the viewer back to reality. An afterword by Mexican journalist Pedro Anza adds important context, highlighting the issues at stake and the human toll of the United States’ strict border policies.
The journey’s starting point is Tapachula, at Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, and it ends in Felicity, a small town in California near the border, through which many migrants pass. Felicity, bizarrely enough, is officially recognized as the “Center of the World,” a title bestowed upon it by a French legionnaire who purchased the land, later ‘confirmed’ by California’s Imperial County and France’s Institut Géographique National. De Middel’s inspiration for the project came from stumbling upon a sign marking this supposed “Center of the World” while driving through Felicity.
This peculiar landmark, reminiscent of something from an old science fiction film, stands within sight of the U.S.-Mexico border fence, creating a dystopian scene. The irony is striking: What might have been a grand, adventurous destination turns out to be a mere roadside tourist attraction, echoing the harsh reality faced by countless migrants who embark on the dangerous journey to the U.S., seeking a land of hope and dreams, only to find disillusionment and hardship waiting on the other side.
Journey to the Center is published by Editorial RM and is available via their website.
All images © Christina de Middel