Curicò: mapuche word for “dark water”
There is no life without water. We are made of it, us and what surrounds us. Nevertheless it is still utopian to think of a universal water right, in Occidental countries like anywhere else, a right that depends on the historical and geographical context of every country.
I decided to travel to Chile and document the topic of water exploitation in the only country with a totally privatized water management system. In between the diversity of the 4000km dividing Patagonia to Atacama desert I was able to get in touch with this matter and develop my visual research across a landscape disfigured by the greed for water.
I decided to travel to Chile and document the topic of water exploitation in the only country with a totally privatized water management system. In between the diversity of the 4000km dividing Patagonia to Atacama desert I was able to get in touch with this matter and develop my visual research across a landscape disfigured by the greed for water.
Parque Nacional de los Glacieres.
Since 2007 about 15 metres of ice melted on each side of the glacier.
The water level in the Capillas de Marmol on the Carrera lake has reached one of its highest level because of the heavy rains of last year. 300.000 years of erosion endangered by a short period of climate emergency.
In the last 50 years it is estimated that around one third of the overall water in Chile has disappeared because of global warming, with fatal repercussions on the planet. At the same time Chile hosts the driest region of the world (Antofagasta) and the 3rd biggest fresh water basin (Parque de los Glacieres shared with Argentina). The 2019 protests in Santiago de Chile also reclaimed for a universal water right.
Water bottles on the sidewalks in the centre of Santiago.
Elqui Valley and its intensive agriculture.
Ex lagoon of Aculéo, plundered from its water in order to water cultivations (above shown on a satellite image from 2013)
300 litres of water flowing in the Salto del Petrohué every second, in Pataognia.
A water container in San Pedro de Atacama on a rainy day. Stagnant water can develop dangerous bacteria for the human organism.
The Atacama desert is considered one of the driest areas of the planet and also one of the biggest lithium deposit. This precious mineral is what allows smartphone and car batteries to work. It is commonly called "white gold".
The water which is used for the extraction of lithium is unquantifiable.
Cracks cutting the ground in Atacama.
The water which is used for the extraction of lithium is unquantifiable.
Cracks cutting the ground in Atacama.
The city of Arica is the last Chilean city before the boarder with Perù. Every year, the average rainfall is only of 0.76mm.
