Miguel de Cervantes o el deseo de vivir

“In this project, no doubt one of the most personal in which I have been involved to date, I set out to address unreservedly the difficult and fascinating relationship – which for me is essential – between image and word, photography and literature, always on the basis of the importance that I, as a photographer, attach to the idea of the trace (as opposed to that of aura). To explore all this, I took the liberty of working on the life and oeuvre of one of the greatest writers not only of Spain but of universal literature: Miguel de Cervantes. I was incessantly plagued by surprises and uncertainty. It was quite a bold undertaking.” José Manuel Navia.

Exhibition at the Instituto Cervantes of Madrid. December 16, 2015–May 1, 2016, with the collaboration betwen Acción Cultural Española (A/CE) and the Instituto Cervantes.

Navia (Madrid, 1957) Photographer and philosophy graduate. His photojournalism as a reporter has gradually moved towards a more personal and deliberated photography, always working in colour, always within the field of the documentary. His images, coming from profoundly Iberian sources, explore territories and peoples linked to their origins and culture in one form or another. He is fascinated by photography’s signifying power and its relationship to literature. He has been a member of the Vu agency, Paris since 1992.