I often visit Fundación Telefónica. I love the building itself, its open spaces, the natural light, and the way modern and historical elements blend together. It’s a place where I can slow down, wander, and always discover something unexpected. Their exhibitions never disappoint. I went to Ecos del Océano several times because the sound and movement of the sea filled me with a sense of calm and a peaceful rhythm I kept returning to.

This time, though, I was surprised by something I wasn’t looking for but that somehow keeps finding me: Egypt.

The exhibition El sueño de la razón (The Sleep of Reason) traces the evolution of how we represent reality, from the scientific drawings of the Enlightenment to today’s AI-generated images. Among all the remarkable pieces, what caught my heart was the imperial edition of the Description de l’Égypte. I own a copy of that monumental book, and seeing it displayed here felt almost personal. Its intricate engravings of temples, ruins, and landscapes have always fascinated me, each line a window into the curiosity and wonder of those early explorers who sought to document an entire civilization.

Standing there, surrounded by 18th-century drawings, 19th-century photographs, and 21st-century algorithmic visions, I felt the thread that connects them all: the human desire to see, to understand, to preserve. From the meticulous engravings of Egypt’s ancient stones to the AI-generated images that now “imagine” new worlds, each era finds its own way of transforming reality into image.

And once again, Egypt found me, reminding me that even in a world of data and algorithms, some dreams never fade.