An Evening at Fundación Juan March: Cristóbal Hara’s Early Vision in Palma

Members of the Art Society recently enjoyed a memorable cultural evening at the finissage of the Cristóbal Hara photography exhibition at the beautiful Fundación Juan March in Palma. Set within one of the city’s most elegant restored palaces, the event combined photography, music, conversation and atmosphere in a way that perfectly captured the spirit of the foundation itself.

From the moment guests entered the palace, there was a sense of warmth and celebration. In the foyer, pianist Gori Matas provided a subtle jazz soundtrack that floated through the historic rooms and courtyard spaces, lending the evening an intimate and sophisticated ambience. The restoration of the old Palma palace deserves special mention: every detail has been preserved and refined with extraordinary care, creating an environment that feels both grand and welcoming.

A particular privilege for the Art Society members was the guided tour in English personally led by Pablo Pérez d'Ors, director of the Museum of the Fundación. The tour offered not only insight into the exhibition itself, but also a deeper understanding of Cristóbal Hara’s artistic beginnings and the unusual path that led him to photography.

The exhibition focused on the early black-and-white work of Cristóbal Hara (Madrid, 1946), winner of the National Photography Award in 2022. Hara’s personal history gives additional depth to his work. Born in Madrid to a German mother and Spanish father, he spent much of his early life in Manila after the death of his mother shortly after his birth. Considered something of a “black sheep” within the family, he was eventually sent to Europe to study Business Administration in Germany to pursue what was expected to be a respectable “bread profession.” Yet fate intervened when, at the age of twenty-two, he spent time in Cuenca with an uncle who had created a vibrant artistic community there. The creative atmosphere fascinated the young Hara and drew him decisively toward the artistic life. Abandoning the secure future his family had imagined for him, he chose instead to devote himself to photography.

The photographs in the exhibition reflect those formative years of discovery, experimentation and restless curiosity. Visitors followed Hara’s visual journey through Cuenca, where he wandered the streets while completing military service, and onward through Yugoslavia, London and different regions of Spain. Even in these early images, one can already sense the sharp eye and instinctive humanity that would later define his internationally celebrated work.

Particularly touching was the section devoted to 15 Instant Tales, a remarkable collaborative project first published in 1971. The portfolio brought together fifteen photographs of schoolchildren from Cuenca, each paired with a short story written by a child inspired by the image they had chosen. The stories do not describe the photographs directly; instead, they reveal the children’s imagination, emotions and spontaneous interpretations.

What made this project especially moving for many visitors was the decision to print the stories exactly as the children wrote them, preserving their original language, rhythm and innocence. The combination of Hara’s photographs with these authentic youthful voices created something unexpectedly powerful — a dialogue between image and imagination that felt timeless and deeply human.

Throughout the evening, conversation flowed easily among members and guests as they reflected on the exhibition and the remarkable story behind it. The event concluded in the most pleasant way possible: with a glass of wine shared among friends beneath the elegant arches of the palace.

It was an evening that combined art, history, music and human connection — a fitting tribute both to Cristóbal Hara’s early vision and to the enduring cultural role of Fundación Juan March in Palma.

More about Palma's Museum of Fundación Juan March at https://www.march.es/en/palma

Photos with permission of the Museum of the Fundación March