S A L A R is a new artistic research and performance work by Amanda Piña / Instituto Tropical. The project engages with the salt flats of the Atacama Desert, where lithium is extracted to fuel Europe’s transition toward so-called renewable energies. Through the alchemical properties of salt and lithium, and the atmospheric, biological, and cultural dimensions of desert salt sedimentary lakes, S A L A R develops a contemporary–ancestral mythology rooted in Andean Futurism. Drawing on quantum physics and non-linear understandings of matter, energy, and relations, the work explores relationships between bodies, minerals, technologies, and ecosystems. It examines lithium extraction and extractivism through ecological, spiritual, technological, and colonial entanglements. 

The version presented at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) is a preview of the forthcoming performance. While the final work is to be presented in an immersive stage-on-stage format, at HKW the artists explore a frontal configuration created specifically for the Miriam Makeba Auditorium.

Artistic Direction & Sculpture: Amanda Piña 
Choreography: Carolina Cifras & Amanda Piña 
Performance: Amanda Piña & Carolina Cifras 
Dramaturgy: Nicole Haitzinger 
Production & Integral Design: Michel Jiménez  
Production & Choreographic Assistance: Federico Protto 
Lighting: Emilio Cordero Checa 
Costume: Sinon Quilla 
Music Composition: Pedro Alvarez 
Sound Design: Clara de Asis