The Marta Ortega Pérez Foundation’s new library homes 5500 uncommon vogue books

The port metropolis of A Coruña on Spain’s Galician coast has turn into an surprising vacation spot for vogue and pictures lovers for the reason that opening of the Marta Ortega Pérez (MOP) Foundation in 2022 (Ortega Pérez is the non-executive chair of Inditex, the dad or mum firm of Zara, which relies within the close by Arteixo). It has hosted a slew of spectacular exhibitions in its first few years, typically bringing the work of a photographic nice to Spain for the primary time – such was the case for an Irving Penn retrospective, so too for David Bailey in ‘Changing Fashion’, and most lately Annie Leibovitz, whose career-spanning present is open till May.

This month, the inspiration opened its vogue and pictures library, an evolving assortment of over 5,500 titles which are free to discover on-site. In the works for the previous two years, the library is a pure extension of the MOP Centre’s broader cultural programme that goals to ‘to build a community that can engage with photography beyond the exhibition itself,’ explains Leticia Castromil, Director of the MOP Foundation. ‘Within that context, we have gradually built a body of references that reflect both the programme and the wider field we are part of. The library was conceived as a way to give that material its own space: not just to preserve it, but to make it accessible as part of a more integrated and continuous experience.’

The MOP Library in A Coruña, Spain

Housed on cabinets that step by step spiral upwards – ‘the intention was to create a space that feels both intimate and monumental’ says Castromil – the huge assortment spans books, magazines and catalogues from the late twentieth century to the current day. It will develop considerably every year, by greater than 200 titles. ‘Photography, fashion, and visual culture are disciplines that are deeply connected to the present,’ explains Castromil. ‘It is about building a living collection, not a static one.’

‘There are many special pieces within the collection, particularly rare fashion publications and out-of-print photography books that are not easily accessible through public libraries,’ she continues. Titles embody pictures books by Nan Goldin, Diane Arbus and Tim Walker; tomes on the influential illustration of Antonio Lopez or Milton Glaser’s graphic design; works dedicated to filmmakers like Larry Clark and John Waters; historic Comme des Garçons catalogues; and complete runs of magazines. ‘Early issues of magazines such as Vogue Italia under Franca Sozzani, Self Service, or Interview are especially meaningful – not only for their editorial quality but for the way they capture very specific cultural moments,’ Castromil says.