The Unseen Desert Project


The Unseen Desert is a three-month, place-based project documenting ancient sites in the coastal deserts of Peru, highlighting locations that deserve attention but are often overlooked in official visitor routes and public narratives.

The project focuses on sites such as Chan Chan, Caral, Pachacamac, and other desert locations, approached not as monuments frozen in time, but as places still connected to their surrounding landscapes.

Approach

The work is based on walking, photography, and careful observation. There is no excavation, reconstruction, or speculative interpretation. The project records how these sites exist today, how they are encountered, weathered, bordered, and integrated into modern life.

Why the Desert

The deserts of Peru are often described as empty, yet they contain layers of human presence that become visible when carefully observed. The project explores how ancient sites survive in these landscapes and considers what it means for a site to remain relevant and noticed today.

Scope and Duration

The Unseen Desert is a focused, three-month project limited in geography and scale. Each site is visited once to allow observation to remain fresh and responsive. The project is designed as a single sustained period of work rather than a continuing series.

Outcomes

The project will produce a curated body of photographs and written reflections, published through Stone Bothering. Selected material may later be developed into essays, talks, or printed works. The emphasis is on creating a considered record rather than a comprehensive archive.

Support and Collaboration

The Unseen Desert is an independent project. If you are interested in supporting, funding, or collaborating, please contact us.

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