Touch, feel, look

We are dedicating this new issue to The Search for Beauty. The poet Piedad Bonnett, in her love letter, invites us to reflect on how we perceive beauty. Sara Torres and Jacobo Bergareche share their views on this search, the former reflecting on Peggy Guggenheim and the latter on Weegee. To delve deeper into this matter, we speak to the neuroscientist Nazareth Castellanos: the researcher reveals the secrets of the brain and confirms that beauty does indeed bring happiness. Furthermore, we introduce you to the stars of the fall exhibitions – the photographer Weegee, the patron and collector Peggy Guggenheim, the art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel and the hunter of decisive moments Henri Cartier-Breson, who, as Bernard Plossu explains in his column, pursued extraordinary beauty in each and every one of his photos. Isabel Tejeda and Richard Learoyd help us understand what determines beauty and where to find it; and we gain an insight into the deep and evocative gaze on the margins of dignity and beauty of film director Paula Ortiz. Former NBA player José Manuel Calderón talks to us about inclusive sports and we discover the most outstanding safe and sustainable mobility projects recognized in our Fundación MAPFRE Social Innovation Awards. We also introduce you to a new section, Technoaddictions, which on this occasion addresses the problem of online gambling among young people; and in a final approach to rare diseases, we deal with “butterfly skin”.

This new issue features the work of South African photographer David Goldblatt and Chilean photographer Paz Errázuriz, who both use the camera as a tool for social criticism. Angelo Néstore and Mario Obrero share their views on the transcendence of Paz Errázuriz‘s photography today. Menchu Gutiérrez and Ángel Mateo Charris address the “utopia/dystopia” binomial; Emma Suárez, now 60 years old, talks about the present and her plans for the future; and Teresa Perales, Paralympic athlete, conveys her energy and strength. The writer Marta Sanz reflects on the reality hidden in stories and, through the tale of Ian, a child with hemiplegia, we raise awareness of rare diseases. In the pages of this fourth issue we also talk about social media, malnutrition and how receiving charity can transform us into volunteers.

The poetic force of Marc Chagall spills out of the pages of this issue along with the committed gaze of photographers Christer Strömholm and Consuelo Kanaga, while Sara Herranz and Semíramis González exchange perspectives on art as commitment. Alejandro Simon Partal brings us closer to his unmissable Kanaga, while Blanca Li shares a unique memory of the dome of the Paris Opera painted by Chagall. We also talk about rare diseases, the effect of plastic on our diet and practical kindness for happiness. And we analyze the concept of commitment with various figures from the world of culture and science. Carlos Sainz, winner of our José Manuel Martínez Martínez Lifetime Achievement Award, reveals his most charitable facet, and philosophy professor José Antonio Marina reflects on what it means to speak out and trust others in today’s liquid society. The work carried out by the Madrid Fire Department’s Suicide Attempt Intervention Unit shines out from these pages and brightens the lives of many people. We close the issue with a great polyphonic feature, Anatomy of commitment, where 23 leading figures from the world of culture, in the broadest sense of the word, share their definition of commitment, the one they validate every day.

Our second issue proposes a stroll through the paintings of Joaquín Sorolla and the sculpture of Medardo Rosso. The color photography of William Eggleston and the fringe stories of Mathieu Pernot round out the artistic proposal, alongside the four emerging talents chosen in KBr Flama 2023. We also put a face and voice to the people who give their all for others, address innovation in cancer treatment and take a look at the new urban mobility that will define the cities of the future. Singer Luz Casal talks about music and much more in a very personal interview. And multidisciplinary artist Valeria Palmeiro, aka Coco Dávez, and photographers Paolo Gasparini and Dulce Pinzón tell us about their relationship with color.

The first issue of our magazine invites us to enjoy the photography of Tina Modotti, the committed work of photographer Louis Stettner and the urban vision of Anastasia Samoylova. Inmaculada Jiménez, director of Harper’s Bazaar defends the irreplaceable value of printed magazines, while image meets word in a dialogue between the photographer José Manuel Navia and the poet Sara Torres. Journalist Jon Sistiaga talks about maturing and enduring, and musician James Rhodes opens the doors of his home to show us his work as a photographer. In addition, to encourage reflection, the Mexican Ángeles Eraña explains what drives us to show solidarity and communications expert María de Leon discusses the need for more humane social media.