Power Perspectives

Power Perspectives is a photo and video installation that explores two contrasting views on territory in Jujuy, Argentina, in the context of increasing lithium extraction. Lithium, mainly used in batteries, is a key resource for the energy transition planned in the Global North. The mining areas are located at 3,500 meters above sea level and have been inhabited by Indigenous communities for centuries. The extraction process threatens freshwater, an essential and scarce resource used for drinking, farming, and livestock. The installation presents two power perspectives over the land: a vertical, non-human/extractivist view using satellite imagery focused on what lies beneath—lithium; and a horizontal view that follows the landscape and its inhabitants along the horizon line—a ""natural"" perspective. Based on four interviews with people directly affected or involved, the work reflects on the stratification of the earth driven by economic interests and the resulting intensification of violence. This is mirrored in the installation’s design: the screen hangs from the ceiling and is only visible through a large mirror. Viewers must position themselves between the layers and look down to see what is happening, thus becoming part of the installation, consciously or not.