An art school is not necessarily a nursery of geniuses, but it does nurture awakened sensitivities, fosters interaction with those who know the most, teaches respect for the best, and suggests guidelines for critique and self-criticism.

Based on the three national fine arts schools, when I chose photography, I educated myself both through the reflections of its main figures and through writings by intellectuals and artists from outside the discipline. As a result, whether I agreed with many or disagreed with others, I began writing and publishing my points of view.

I did so from within photography, learning the technique, the chemistry, and the technology; the groups of professionals, amateurs, or artists; the art market and the contemporary figures that shape the relatively small international photographic scene. Always from here, from our own reality, trying to integrate ourselves into the History that is written in Europe or the United States.

Leyendo fotos is a selection of chronicles and journalistic essays published over the past two decades, along with prefaces to various exhibitions I presented as an independent curator or as part of the National Museum of Fine Arts, or as the founding director of the Photography Gallery at the San Martín Theater.

I’ve structured the book into five chapters for better understanding, aiming to make the subject accessible to all audiences.

Photography is a passion, which is why some articles may come across as controversial. They were written with fury in response to critics, curators, and officials who were, at the very least, improvised; I hope readers will understand this.

Sara Facio