Anatomy of the Desert introduces an ongoing artistic investigation by Nuno Cera (2025–2028), using photography and video to read the contemporary territory. At its centre is the Atacama Desert, a landscape where mineral extraction, ecological experimentation and scientific research intersect.

A video and ten large-scale photographs trace a journey through northern Chile, across the Andes into Argentina, and onward to the nocturnal blue of Buenos Aires. Along the way, Cera observes a prototype dwelling designed for extreme conditions, the Salar de Atacama, the Chuquicamata copper mine and the workers’ towns of Cecilia and Humberstone. These sites reveal the infrastructures and histories that shape the landscape.

Between stones and cosmos, mines and debris, the project follows the often invisible connections that structure a Global Sacrifice Zone. The apparent emptiness of the Atacama gives way to a layered territory in which geological time meets industrial cycles, colonial histories, fascist memories and scientific observation at a cosmic scale.

Continuing the investigations of Distant Lights (2021–2022) and Acid Flamingo (2023–2024), Anatomy of the Desert extends Cera’s attention to a planetary scale, exploring how energy, technology and science transform landscapes and their ecologies.

Video 4K; stereo; 6 min 56 s;

© Nuno Cera (2026)