All hail MOLA – a brand new media platform and digital magazine by London-based Brazilian creative director Isabela Lima. Having previously cut her teeth on Nataal, AnOther and The Beyond Noise magazines, she’s now stepping up with her own heartfelt take on what makes the Global South and its diaspora shine. And we’re here for that. Featuring many artists that Nataal knows and loves, we sat down with Lima on the eve of the launch to find out more…

What was your original motivation for starting MOLA?

MOLA was created because I felt that although efforts of inclusion and diversity are slowly being made, these often feel very much like ticking a box. We want to invert the equation, not out of spite, but because it was beyond my comprehension that only a tiny portion of the immense global creative talent pool is given opportunities in the industry. We want to create collaborative work that fosters meaningful cross-cultural connections and places the Global South at the centre of the conversation.

Tell us about the first digital issue.

This edition was really about working with soulful artists I admire - some of whom I’ve been lucky enough to call my friends, others who became friends throughout this journey. It features commissioned works by acclaimed photographers Mar+Vin (Brazil), Delali Ayivi (Togo), River Claure (Bolivia), Ana Margarita Flores (Peru), and Marcelo Mudou (Brazil), as well as stylist Stephania Yepes (Colombia). Written highlights include an interview with Brazilian artist and legend Augusto de Campos, who is also the creator of MOLA's visual identity, a poignant environmental piece written by Brazilian social scientist P. Momag, and an inspiring text on the death of cinema by film critic Diogo Serafim.

Let’s dig into some specific stories. First, ‘El Dorado’ by Mar+Vin.

The concept is inspired by the myth of El Dorado, the lost city of gold in Colombia, which is something Stephania Yepes had wanted to explore for a long time. She says: “The legend of El Dorado was born in Guatavita Lagoon in Colombia and we decided to do this story in Salvador de Bahia because of its great cultural richness and its spiritual relationship with water. With the myth people were looking for a specific Dorado, but this story shows our own Dorado – the way we create and find beauty.”

‘Ideas of Return’ by Delali Ayivi.

‘Ideas of Return’ was shot on the coast between Lomé and Aneho with a team of Togolese creatives based both in Togo and abroad. They’ve look at the impact of forced displacement through slavery on migration, examining how colonial structures have shaped their experiences and exploring the challenges of returning to their cultural roots, identities and spiritualities. The project delves into the lasting effects of historical trauma on both those who left and those who remained. Delali Ayivi says: “We examined how we can find ways to build bridges between Togo and its diaspora and provide healing and acknowledgement to all our histories and contemporary joys and struggles.”

‘Instructions and possibilities to scare a mountain’ by River Claure.

This is a 16min audio-visual exercise in collaboration with the inhabitants and former miners of Cerro Rico de Potosi in the Bolivian Andes. Since its discovery during the colonial period in America, the Cerro Rico de Potosi has been considered the richest source of silver in the history of mankind. The importance of this mountain can not only be measured in economic terms, but culturally it has been fundamental for the development of the 'history' of the West. Theorists describe this mountain as representing the beginning of the modern principles of accumulation and exploitation. Currently, and after more than 500 years of exploitation, the Cerro Rico is beginning to surrender itself and some people speculate that the mountain is going to collapse.

How do you hope MOLA will delight and inspire?

I’m so proud of where I come from and my culture, and feel so passionate about building a space for people that feel the same way. We chose an online format to ensure the magazine is accessible to everyone, and for our first edition we've included translation options for Portuguese and Spanish. In the future, we hope to add more languages to reach an even wider audience and aim to expand our exhibitions beyond London and Europe. I really hope this issue resonates and connects with anyone that has been looking to see themselves and their culture reflected in the media we consume.