The Ángel de la Hoz Hall will host a selection of photographs taken between 1992 and 1993 that showcase the distinctive approach of Yarmem Cruz, a pioneer of photojournalism in Cantabria. The Centro de Documentación de la Imagen de Santander (CDIS) is paying tribute to Cruz with an exhibition titled ‘Yarmem. Fotoprensa en El Norte. 1992-1993,’ which will open on Friday, October 9, at 7:00 PM.
This exhibition allows visitors to revisit a particularly significant phase of Cruz's career through images that blend information, sensitivity, and attention to everyday life in a personal manner. Noemí Méndez, the city’s Councillor for Culture, emphasized that the exhibition serves as a tribute to Cruz and her impactful way of seeing the world, which has left a lasting mark on Cantabrian photography. “Recovering these works now also means recognizing the value of photojournalism as a document of our collective memory and the ability of a photographer to narrate an era through the people who lived it,” she stated.
Méndez also highlighted the importance of the CDIS in preserving, researching, and making such collections accessible to the public. “Photographs are not merely testimonies of what occurred. Over time, they acquire new interpretations and allow us to recognize ourselves in places, social changes, and, above all, in the people. In Yarmem's images, there is an extraordinary closeness to those she photographs, a respectful and profoundly human gaze,” she added.
The exhibition focuses on Cruz's photojournalistic work for El Norte, featuring scenes from a Cantabria undergoing significant transformations in the early 1990s. Everyday life, rural life, civic demands, and various social events are captured through a lens that seeks to explore the relationship between people and their surroundings. This perspective is one of the central themes in a text written by journalist Javier Sakona, who recalls Cruz as a pioneer of photojournalism in Cantabria.
Sakona emphasizes the naturalness and intimacy of her photographs, which can transform seemingly small scenes into memories of a changing society. He notes an evolution in her work from more documentary photography to a style increasingly linked to emotion and a more personal construction of the image.
The selection of photographs allows for a journey through a part of Cantabria's recent history while also tracing the evolution of Cruz as an artist. Her work combines classicism and visual poetry with geometry, silence, and a theatrical dimension, reflecting her diverse interests. Alongside her roles as a reporter and artist, Cruz also pursued a career in medicine, which contributes to the uniqueness of her perspective.
Méndez reiterated that this exhibition offers an opportunity to discover or reconnect with a creator who was able to engage closely with reality without intruding. “Yarmem looked at people without artifice and without prejudice, and that quality remains in her photographs decades later,” she concluded.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalog that preserves this selection of photographs and contributes to documenting Cruz's work and her contribution to the photographic and documentary heritage of Cantabria. ‘Yarmem. Fotoprensa en El Norte. 1992-1993’ will be on display at the Ángel de la Hoz Hall of the CDIS (Calle Magallanes, 30) until January 16, 2027. Visiting hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with the hall also open on December 8 during the same hours.
