Agata Szymanska-Medina

Memoria del Aqua

In her photographic work Memoria del Agua, Agata Szymanska-Medina highlights the urgent freshwater crisis through the example of the Chilean Atacama Desert—an existential threat to local communities and, at the same time, to humanity as a whole. The struggle of Indigenous peoples, such as the Mapuche, for land and water rights has been ongoing for decades across the vast 1,200 km expanse of the desert.

The focus of her investigation is the Biobío River, Chile's second-largest river, which historically served as a boundary between Mapuche territory and colonial settlements. Today, the river has become a focal point of modern conflicts due to hydroelectric projects like the Ralco Dam, which flooded Mapuche-Pehuenche land. These projects not only caused ecological damage but also led to the displacement of indigenous communities.

Using a multifaceted narrative approach in her documentary photography, combining texts, archival material, videos, and sound recordings, the photographer sheds light on the actors involved in this conflict and their motivations. By linking the past with the present, the project reveals how historical struggles over resources continue to shape the ongoing fight for land and water, uncovering universal dynamics that transcend national borders.