Atacama Desert, Chile, is a coastal desert that experiences a rain shadow effect from its position on the western edge of the Andes Mountains.

“I was contacted by the artists team through European Southern Observatory (ESO), Chile. The reason was to acquire samples of sand from Atacama Desert for an artistic initiative in which sand from different deserts around the world will be used. I immediately agreed to the request since it means a tacit acknowledgement of the uniqueness of our desert and the possibility of having one more chance of being known universally. The samples were collected in the dune system located east of the town of Pica, commune of the same name, Tarapacá Region, northern Chile. This place was chosen for its characteristics of hyperacidity, the absence of flora, close human population or other element that would be polluting. The samples correspond to coarse-grained, azoic, quartziferous dune sands free from paleontological material, from a sedimentary system that practically crosses from the coast to this place, concentrating here.” Professor Guillermo Chong

Photo 1 and 2: Gerhard Hüdepohl