Tomás Saraceno Collaborates with Indigenous Communities on Water Sanctuary in Argentine Salt Flats

In Salinas Grandes, northern Argentina, artist Tomás Saraceno has collaborated with eleven Indigenous communities from the Red Atacama network to establish El Santuario del Agua (The Sanctuary of Water). This cultural center, honoring the Andean goddess Pachamama, seeks to tackle the issue of water depletion caused by lithium extraction, which consumes approximately 2.2 million liters of water for every ton produced. The sanctuary will consist of five semicircular structures, reaching heights of up to 40 feet, constructed from salt bricks and inspired by apachetas. Scheduled to open in fall 2026, it will follow a sustainable tourism model, welcoming over 1,500 visitors daily and educating them about local water cycles and Andean cosmology, with support from various organizations.