Artist Tomás Saraceno has begun construction on "El Santuario del Agua" (The Water Sanctuary), a monumental art complex in the Salinas Grandes salt flats of northern Argentina. Developed in collaboration with 11 Indigenous communities and the Red Atacama coalition, the project consists of five semicircular salt structures inspired by Andean cosmology. Scheduled to open in October, the site will function as a community-owned space where visitors can engage with the landscape through elevated viewing platforms while supporting a sustainable tourism model.
This project is a significant intersection of environmental activism and contemporary art, specifically targeting the ecological impact of lithium mining in the region. By ensuring that all revenue and ownership remain with the local Indigenous populations, Saraceno is attempting to move beyond traditional installation art toward a model of territorial and economic sovereignty. It represents a high-profile case of an international artist using their platform to bolster climate justice and protect ancestral knowledge against extractive global industries.