Local Landscapes of Hope in Darién and Atacama: Material Narrations in the Anthropocene

Examinations of the Anthropocene include cross-disciplinary efforts with communities to contextualize climate challenges in places where extreme weather has become more common. This article contributes to such research in Darién in the Panamanian rainforest and Coyo in the Chilean Atacama Desert. These are both extreme landscapes defined by over-abundance and absence of water, respectively. Difficult environmental and social challenges lie ahead for both communities, sometimes in the name of sustainable development, for example as lithium mining expands in the Atacama. An artist worked with local people to hear verbal, environmental, ritual, and everyday narratives. By understanding the context of local responses to climate change, the Anthropocene can gain tangible meaning. Resulting artworks are presented as a co-produced, spatial, and material narratives, in which hope is reflected. The article signals folklore as a form of valuable local knowledge, helping to navigate sometimes overwhelming scientific perspectives on the global Anthropocene