Cristina de Middel – The Afronauts (First Edition, 2012)

The Afronauts is a seminal first edition photobook by Spanish artist Cristina de Middel, self‑published in Madrid in 2012. The book reimagines the real‑life 1960s Zambian space program initiated by Edward Makuka, blending documentary source material with staged, speculative photography to question and undo conventional narratives about Africa. By inserting imagination into history, de Middel foregrounds fiction as a critical tool within photographic practice, challenging stereotypes and expanding the possibilities of visual storytelling.

Produced in a limited run of approximately 1,000 copies, the first edition quickly became one of the most influential and collectible photobooks of the last decade. Its impact was recognised internationally: The Afronauts was shortlisted for the Paris Photo–Aperture First Book Award and the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, and received the ICP Infinity Award. The publication is widely celebrated by critics, foundations such as the Martin Parr Foundation, and collectors as a defining work of 21st‑century photography.

Technical Sheet

• Title: The Afronauts

• Artist / Author: Cristina de Middel

• Date: 2012

• Edition: First edition, self‑published

• Publisher / Editor: Self‑published (Madrid)

• Technique / Printing Method: Offset printing

• Medium / Materials: Softcover photobook

• Dimensions: approx. 24 × 30 cm 

• Language: English (with visual narrative)

• Edition Size: ~1,000 copies

• Recognition: Paris Photo–Aperture First Book Award finalist; shortlisted Deutsche Börse Prize; ICP Infinity Award

• Condition: Mint

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