In the Quechua languages of South America, a huaca is an object that represents something sacred, usually a monument, but the term can also refer to natural sites, such as springs, mountains, or even deities or symbols related to ancestor worship (mummies were also huacas). Here, I seek to invoke the memory of Potosi through the creation of a huaca.
My huaca recalls not only the shape of the mountain that enriched Western Europe during the 16th and 18th centuries through the plundering of its minerals, but also the farthingales, crinolines worn by women of Spanish high society during the period of colonization in Latin America. When the Spanish arrived in America, they imposed not only a religion but also ways of dressing and behaving on the colonized peoples. Societies were strictly divided into two genders: masculine and feminine. Each gender must rigorously respect the roles and behaviors assigned to them by force. It must be added that for the first time in world history, the notion of race will hierarchize populations in order to divide and discriminate against them. Power structures created and imposed centuries ago are still present in our bodies and societies. It is women and sexual dissidents who suffer the most. The Farthingale recalls not only the Cerro Rico mountain, but also a pyramidal power structure deeply rooted in our current societies, where the plundering of resources, femicide, racism, and patriarchy are still very present in Latin America. The Farthingale refers to the emergence of clothing structures, especially for women, intended to control bodies, genders, and social classes, at the same time as the lands of Latin America were colonized, plundered, and their populations enslaved.
The silver mined in Potosi paved the way for global capitalism: the cities where Potosi silver circulated are embroidered on tobacco leaves. Since the beginning of silver mining, miners smoked tobacco to energize themselves during their work or to escape during their breaks. They still do so today, risking their health. Tobacco is also a natural resource steeped in colonial history. The leaves are presented in their raw form: Bolivia does not have a developed industrial sector, and is primarily a raw material exporter.
For a long time, the presence of women in the silver mines was prohibited. Today, widows in need are forced to work in the mines: their presence is tolerated, but they expose themselves to constant sexist and sexual violence. Working in the mines of Potosi means taking the risk of dying very quickly, and the working conditions are very dangerous: female workers are quickly replaced by others, like pawns.
I photographed 10 female miners in Potosi. I photocopied their portraits and pasted them onto the tobacco leaves: they are barely distinguishable. Excerpts from pay slips are also torn out and pasted onto the tobacco leaves: thus adding another way of talking about Money.