WHAT THE TOURISTS DON’T SEE | Elisa Montesinos Fabrice Michel´s residency in Antofagasta, in March 2020, coincided with the social uprising and the beginning of the pandemic. Through the course of his research, he at times felt like a journalist, as he talked with the people and the activists of the city, visiting possible locations for an exhibition. He toured through the city and the desert looking for clues about the impact the lithium industry has had on the region. But something distracted him. The clanging of pots struck by wooden spoons compelled him to go out into the streets. For twelve days he kept a journal, noting down his impressions, filled with questions, observing how the issues in Chile resembled those of the social movements in France and the rest of Europe: the need for greater equality and feminism. He became interested in the people’s struggle in the face of the social issues and the mining industry’s pollution, which caused him to go searching through a waste dump. With all these things in mind, he sequestered himself in the Atacama Desert. To see what the tourists don’t see.
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