Photographer Monia Marchionni presents a series inspired by her 2014 journey to Northern Chile, where she encountered families connected to the history of the Atacama Desert. The work reflects on the victims of the Pinochet dictatorship—those who were kidnapped, tortured, killed, and disappeared—and the ongoing presence of mass graves and sites linked to past atrocities.
The series focuses on themes of loss, disappearance, and the absence left behind, particularly from the perspective of mothers and families still searching for their loved ones, known as mujeres del desierto. It also examines the way collective memory is shaped by those who witness events and those who remain indifferent, portraying the desert as a space where history and emotion converge.