From the "pop paradise" to La Moneda: Valentina Palavecino releases a photo book showcasing her first decade of images.

In a world of instant gratification and algorithms, releasing a physical photo book feels almost like an act of rebellion. That's precisely the intention of photographer Valentina Valapecino. With her new book, titled "Slow Camera" (2026, Metalibro), the artist pauses to reflect, recounting ten years of a journey that has taken her from the most intense underground music scenes in Chile to the intimate corridors of La Moneda. More than just a compilation of images, her work is a statement of principles. "It's a way of looking at the world," Valapecino says in an interview with Paula, defining her work as "the act of contemplation," something she herself considers a nearly revolutionary act in these times of instantaneity. For her, materiality is vital: she seeks to create a lasting memory and have that memory embodied in something physical and tangible, with the dream that one day her negatives will be donated, for example, to the National Library as a "chronicle" of contemporary culture. From the "pop paradise" to La Moneda: Valentina Palavecino releases a photo book with her first decade of images. A sun breaks through the clouds as we gather to talk about her role as a chronicler of her time, her creative processes, and the stories behind the photographs that are now part of the Chilean collective imagination. Manifesto: Francisca Valenzuela, Val Palavecino. The path of Palavecino to professional photography did not begin in grand academies, but on the streets. Her first inspiration was a friend from Lo Espejo who used his camera as a "social tool" to connect with people living on the streets, creating a "beautiful form of exchange," he says. From there, the camera became her passport. She began photographing concerts from the audience in places like the Municipal Gymnasium of Coronel. To finance her studies, she wrote concert reviews for independent websites. "It was a situation of quite a privilege because I lived in my mother's house, I would leave for school at 8 am and come back at 6 pm." Despite the privilege, she was always aware of the social issues and inequalities in her country. There exists in her work a clear feminist perspective and a self-imposed responsibility: "To make visible these leaderships so that it is part of the history of the country that these women existed, that they fought and did incredible things." Despite the solemnity of these records, Val is not afraid of internet culture. When her presidential or artist (like Rosalía) photographs go viral or become memes, she celebrates it. "I like that they are reinterpreted and appropriated, because it means that there is a sense of belonging for the collective. It is beautiful that this happens with the collective memory of our country." What's next: Akriila, Val Palavecino. Looking to the future, after capturing the pulse of a generation, Valapecino has a new goal: "I would like to move into the role of curator." Her plan is to mix generations and work with the archives of photographers from the 80s and 90s in Chile, mentioning references like Domingo and Gonzalo Donoso, whose work she deeply admires. "I like the place behind the lens because it is my vision, but I also like the front, because I have a lot to say. I want to be a voice in the narrative of our context. My work is like that shadow that is, but that is also not, and that is perfect." The photographer Valentina Palavecina, author of "Slow Camera." "Slow Camera" by Valentina Palavecino will be released this Tuesday, May 12th at 7:00 PM at City Lab of the GAM Center (Metro U. Católica).