In an age defined by constant image consumption, where photographs are produced, shared and forgotten at an overwhelming speed, Alejandro Madrid proposes a pause. ALGUIEN PUSO LA INTENCIÓN is not just the title of his latest exhibition, but a quiet declaration of principles: a reminder that every image can still be an intentional act. Moving away from spectacle and immediacy, Madrid’s work invites a slower, more conscious way of looking, one rooted in observation, intuition and presence.
Trained in Fine Arts and shaped by an upbringing surrounded by folklore, rural imagery and family archives, Madrid approaches photography as both a personal and symbolic language. His images emerge from everyday life, often captured with the same device that fuels today’s visual overproduction, yet they resist its logic. Instead, they operate as fragments of a visual diary, charged with meaning, ritual and spirituality.
Presented in a physical exhibition space, these photographs reclaim their material dimension, confronting the viewer with scale, texture and silence. They ask not only to be seen, but to be experienced. In this conversation, Alejandro Madrid reflects on intention as a creative attitude, the role of photography in shaping our unconscious, and the thin line between the intimate and the collective. A dialogue that unfolds at the intersection of art, fashion and everyday life, and one that insists on looking, truly looking, again.
What does the title ALGUIEN PUSO LA INTENCIÓN mean to you, and when did you realise it was the right name for this project?
The meaning is very broad and very simple at the same time: everything is a ritual, and a ritual is an action carried out with intention. My purpose with this project is to offer a reflective, even meditative view of photography in the context of the current era of mass image production. I never knew exactly when the right moment was; it was a gradual process.
How did this series come about, and what was the initial concern that prompted you to start photographing it?
I have a secondary Instagram account where I upload images that emerge from my daily life: scenes, texts, references, reflections… almost like a visual diary. This has helped me understand what’s inside my head and what truly interests me. The images in this project are exactly that: mirrors reflecting who I am in those moments. I’ve always been interested in photography, and even more so in recent years, with an iPhone constantly in my pocket.
The project was born from reviewing my own image archive and realising that these images were giving me a lot of symbolic information about my context and my life. That made it much easier to communicate my ideas, because I’m starting from a place of sincerity.
What role does intention, as a concept, play in the way you look at and construct an image?
In a ritual, intention is the attitude with which we do things, the “why”. As I mentioned before, the way we’re used to taking photographs today generally lacks intention, becoming just another form of consumption. For me, photography is about connecting with material reality, feeling that involuntary impulse that makes us take our iPhone out of our pocket and capture a moment, an impulse that, in turn, connects us to our unconscious. And it’s there, in the unconscious, where all the answers to who we are reside.
Is there a photograph in the exhibition that you feel is particularly close to you or representative of this vital and creative moment?
I could say all of them, but especially the last image: the boy on his knees searching for objects in a river with a neodymium magnet. I feel very represented by that image. For me, it symbolises curiosity, the constant search and the desire to understand what lies beyond what we see.
How did you select the images that ultimately form part of the exhibition? What was left out?
It took me a long time to make a limited selection from thousands of images, and if I were to do it again now, it would surely be different. An exhibition project inevitably imposes certain limitations. The physical space itself forces you to choose what to show and what to hide. The same thing happens when you take photographs: you decide which elements to include in the frame and which to leave out.
How important are time, waiting and observation in your approach to photography?
Very important, though it depends on my intention. Sometimes I feel the urge to take a photograph and I just do it. Other times I need to practise patience, wait for the right moment, or even prepare a production with technical and personal resources.
Observation is key to knowing whether you’re truly attentive to what’s happening. It’s a good exercise in being present.
How do these images dialogue with the idea of ritual, symbolism or spirituality that runs through much of your work?
Everything is everything at once: the process, the space, the result, the experience of viewing the images. All of it becomes a ritual in itself, where everything is symbolic if you allow it to be. Nothing escapes spirituality.
Were there moments of doubt or blockage during the process? How did you learn to live with them?
Yes. It’s necessary to experience blockage, even if at the time it feels like the end of the world. Blockages teach you how to solve problems. I’ve learned that you can work your way out of a block through action, even if that action isn’t always the most appropriate. It helps you move forward in the process. Then we’ll see.
What emotions or questions are you interested in awakening in the viewer when they walk through ALGUIEN PUSO LA INTENCIÓN?
Any. That would mean the images aren’t empty, but charged with forces that stir both your gut and your mind.
What has it been like to see this project materialise in an exhibition space and face the public’s reaction?
Very surprising. As someone used to consuming images digitally, seeing these photographs at this scale reminds me that we live in a material world. It makes me aware that images are also objects, and that we project many things onto them. I’m also always struck by seeing such small details enlarged to a scale that’s disproportionate to our usual perception. That sense of disorientation fascinates me, and I think it’s enough of an excuse to attract the viewer and invite contemplation. It’s a kind of trap for the observer.
Do you feel that this exhibition marks an evolution or a turning point in relation to your previous work?
Yes. I’ve always separated my personal work from my commercial work, although certain analogies between the two are unconsciously constructed. This project challenges me to become aware of that and to turn everything into a whole, something adaptable to each context.
If you had to define ALGUIEN PUSO LA INTENCIÓN with a single word, what would it be and why?
I wouldn’t be able to reduce it to one word, it would fall short.
You grew up surrounded by images linked to folklore, rural life and family albums. How do you think that imagery is still present in your current work?
There are certain codes of documentary photography, realism, even religious imagery that I’ve absorbed. All of this is part of the reality I’ve experienced, and in some way it has shaped how I see things. Early on in my commercial work, I was interested in achieving strong, forceful, almost monumental images, almost like paintings. Now I find myself more interested in the process and in looking at the sides of the road. I’m less focused on achieving a specific result or technical perfection, and more on the feeling.
You trained in Fine Arts before focusing on photography. What did this medium offer you that you couldn’t find in other languages?
At the beginning of my training, I was surrounded by classical disciplines: painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, analogue photography… It was a period when I placed great importance on manual processes. I saw the artist as a craftsman. As my education progressed, my understanding of creativity expanded towards more conceptual and theoretical perspectives, giving more space to meaning than to technique in my own work. It would have taken me ten years to fully explore all the disciplines I was interested in.
Your work moves between the intimate and the collective. Where do you usually start when you begin a new project?
I almost always start from the intimate, which naturally becomes collective. I can’t speak about things I haven’t experienced, that wouldn’t be sincere. I’m constantly in conversation with my surroundings, both within the creative world and outside of it. I always try to make my work accessible. I’m drawn to subjects that shape our everyday lives and reflect current realities. I really value when a dialogue is created between myself, the work and the viewer, that’s what keeps the work alive.
Fashion appears in your work more as an atmosphere than as a trend. What really interests you about it when it enters into dialogue with your photography?
It’s just another element, like space or the people I photograph. I’m drawn to fashion when there’s no pretence of selling something, but rather a sense of enjoyment. I love working with my friends, they inspire me in everything I do. Being surrounded by creative people who understand fashion as a language makes me aware that clothing communicates too.
You’ve worked with fashion brands and magazines. What differences do you find between shooting on commission and shooting for a personal project?
Limits. Sometimes I’m grateful when clients impose time or creative restrictions, because I tend to get lost in ideas and struggle to finish projects. When I work on personal projects, I have to impose deadlines on myself. Otherwise, I’d never stop.
Do you think fashion can function as a narrative and symbolic language on the same level as other artistic disciplines?
Absolutely, although not all fashion is created with the same intention. I’ve worked on fashion projects driven by genuine passion and a desire to offer something unique, and others that are purely commercial. I find both approaches valid and admirable, even though they operate under different codes. Ultimately, the brands that inspire me most are those that feel authentic, unique and meaningful.
When you’re part of the creative process, how do you choose the wardrobe or styling? Do you see it as an extension of the body or the image?
I tend to trust people. I love surrounding myself with collaborators who share a similar creative vision. As I’ve said, clothing is simply another form of communication.
In a context of image overproduction, what place do you think photography occupies today as a conscious act?
It depends entirely on the person taking the photograph. With this project, my proposal is to experience photography as a conscious act. It’s something I see as incredibly powerful, a practical exercise in self knowledge and communication. Images have become a language in their own right.
Which artists, photographers or cultural figures have most directly influenced your perspective?
What I have closest is my immediate environment: my friends and family. Observing their work and being part of their projects makes me feel very fortunate. I’m grateful to share the same interests and language with them. My partner, Luci, for example, has a wonderful sensitivity and perspective, and I find her deeply inspiring. We see things very differently, yet we complement each other beautifully when we work together.
I’m also inspired by the simplicity of everyday life, by moments that often go unnoticed. This project speaks to that: moments in which intention was present but went unseen due to a lack of attention. I find that incredibly beautiful. And I love stock photography websites, I’m obsessed with them. I can spend hours exploring.
You combine your artistic practice with commercial work and teaching. How do these worlds coexist in your day to day life?
For me, they’re the same thing, just different ways of sharing my perspective with the world. I always try to speak from my own experience and way of seeing.
After this exhibition, what new questions or concerns have emerged in your work?
I’d like to explore the formats in which images appear and how they influence us by shaping our unconscious and our identity. I’d also like to explore less theoretical things, like testing out a lighting setup that’s been on my mind, haha.
Where would you like to focus your attention from now on? Are any new ideas beginning to take shape?
I’ve been researching how images affect the unconscious for several years now. I often think about Alejandro Jodorowsky and his psychomagic practices, where theatrical symbolism blends reality and fiction. That’s exactly how the unconscious works, it can’t distinguish between what’s real and what isn’t.
