Cristian Olmos Herrera

Visual Researcher

About

Hi there, I'm Cristian Olmos Herrera, an architect and urban designer from Chile. I’m living and working in the city of Vienna, doing illustrations, photography and research.I hold a PhD in Development Planning and an MSc in Building & Urban Design in Development from the Bartlett Development Planning Unit at University College London, where I investigated the fragmentation of the hydrosocial territory in the Atacama Desert.During my post-doctoral research at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, I utilised visual methods to analyse everyday water practices. My research has uncovered spatial networks of people, institutions, and technology, shedding light on the political economy of water with a focus on issues related to unequal access. As part of the interdisciplinary project Transformations to Groundwater Sustainability (T2GS), I compared grassroots groundwater management initiatives across various case studies through drawings (India, Algeria, Morocco, USA, Chile, Peru, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania).I'm passionate about making academic work more accessible and relatable to a diverse range of people, whether at community gatherings, in educational institutions, cultural events, or informal conversations. I love telling stories through my drawings, aiming to convey ideas in a way that is easy for everyone to comprehend, connect with, engage with, and respond to.

Drawings

Urban sketches

Drawing research: Transformations to Groundwater Sustainability Project (T2GS)

Drawing research: Using artistic drawings as a tool for interdisciplinary exchange,
team-building and transdisciplinary research

Drawing research: Thinking (and) planning with Hannah Arendt

Drawing research: Transformative water pact

Interviews through drawings: Hydrosocial territories in the Atacama Desert: An ethnographic analysis of changing water practices in Toconao, Chile

PHOTOGRAPHY

Spaces in-between

Spaces In-Between presents a critical exploration of the Atacama Desert through a series of analogue photographs, emphasizing the complex relationship between water, space, and human adaptation. Water, as a scarce yet vital element, plays a transformative role in shaping the Andean landscape and the sociocultural dynamics within it. Its flows create both conflict and cooperation, structuring the interactions between communities, institutions, and their environment. These flows define spaces where settlement patterns emerge, framing the conditions that sustain life amidst one of the world’s most extreme climates.The photographic series captures the nuanced transitions that define these spaces: the interplay of light and shadow, the shifts from heat to cold, and the passage from day to night. It reveals the duality of the desert, where subsistence agriculture flourishes precariously alongside some of the most profitable mining operations on the planet, highlighting the coexistence of powerful economic forces and the resilience of indigenous communities.Spaces In-Between goes beyond a visual narrative to map the interconnections between place and time, illustrating how the past informs the present and shapes future possibilities. This series also reflects a personal narrative, bridging the cultural and geographical divide between Chile and Austria. It invites viewers to consider the in-between spaces not just as physical gaps, but as foundational elements that frame the lived experience, resilience, and identity of those who inhabit the Atacama Desert.

Steams of Belonging on Thaliastraße

A year ago, I participated in a tour as part of Gemma Zukunft called "STEP 2035: Thaliastraße – Green and Cool in the Heart of Ottakring." This tour was organised by architecture journalist Franziska Leeb and the city of Vienna. The walk inspired me to reflect on the stories that make Thaliastraße one of Vienna's most popular streets.This analogue photography series emphasises the spaces created by the spray mist showers on Thaliastraße, where locals and outsiders blend into the vibrant mix of life. Here, immigrants, traders, artists, and the unnoticed weave through the fabric of local shops, traditional cafes, kebab stands, and vintage boutiques. These misty spaces bring together diverse languages, customs, and faces in this multicultural district, each carrying stories of distance and belonging, shaping the street’s eclectic spirit.

Glimpses of hope - Submission to the competition of ROTLICHT 2023

The political, social, cultural, and emotional state of Chilean society during October 2019 reflected the collective discontent of millions of people, who took to the streets to march for social justice, demanding structural changes and transformations. The social outbreak was an explosion of accumulated indignation for more than 30 years. Since the end of Pinochet’s dictatorship, the economic model remained largely unchanged, leaving the working-class and middle-income people burdened with an overwhelming socio-economic load and growing inequality.The harsh legacies of the dictatorship and the neoliberal project which was continued by right-wing governments since then put Chile’s democracy at stake, reflected in low levels of citizen participation in democratic processes like elections, loss of trust in politicians and institutions, numerous cases of corruption, and corporate collusion. In the weeks and months following the October demonstrations, police and military forces have exercised repression, murdering compatriots, maiming, and raping people. More than eleven thousand protesters and local residents were injured by state agents, and more than 400 victims suffered facial mutilations and eye trauma.Faced with this visible violation of human rights, a group of students and political exiles in London, including the artist, have taken to the streets to show their indignation and protest against the Chilean authorities. This project aims to showcase the demonstrations in London during the beginning of March 2020, which were organised in solidarity with Chileans worldwide, demanding justice for those who have been violated and murdered.

Lyrically Speaking - Submission to the Ilford Photo Student Competition 2017/18

This photographic series was part of the Ilford Photo Student Competition 2017/18, under the theme “Lyrically Speaking.” The competition challenged participants to transform song lyrics into compelling images that evoke the same emotional resonance as the music itself.Captured during the winter of 2017 along the coast of Aldeburgh, UK, these photographs explore the intricate relationship between the city and the sea. Through each frame, the series seeks to convey the dynamic interplay between human-made structures and the natural environment, reflecting moments of harmony, tension, and introspection.One of the standout images from the series, titled ‘But I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,’ was recognized as the Runner-up in the competition, highlighting its evocative and thought-provoking quality.

Water for People, Water by People - Submission to the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources Framed Photo Competition 2016

This photographic series was featured in the 2016 Framed Photo Competition hosted by the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, centered around the theme ‘Water for People, Water by People.’ The competition invited participants to engage with the 2016 UN-Water theme and the spirit of World Water Day.The images were captured during the canal-cleaning efforts in Socaire and Tilomonte in the Atacama Desert, as part of my fieldwork for the research project “Hydrosocial Territories in the Atacama Desert: An Ethnographic Analysis of Changing Water Practices in Toconao, Chile.” These photographs document a centuries-old practice essential for maintaining, repairing, and constructing canals, which in turn enhances the distribution of water. Beyond their functional role, these canal-cleaning practices are vital for fostering social cohesion, unity, and community bonds.1 The BreakIn very remote places in the Chilean Andes, 3,700 metres above sea level in the Atacama Desert, one can still find people practising an ancient tradition called Talatur, or the Ceremony of the Cleaning of the Canals. Talatur is about how the people of the Atacama culture come together to clean the veins of their territory—the canals. This activity not only ensures the provision of sufficient, good-quality water for the entire community but also includes ceremonies such as dances. These two days involve hard work for all participants to improve the condition of the water and the canals. At the same time, this work forms part of a larger ritual to ask Mother Earth for an abundance of water throughout the year. The picture was taken a few minutes after the end of a 12-hour workday.2 The SpectacleThe cleaning and maintenance of the canals in the Chilean Andes is an annual activity. It is embedded in ceremonies that bring together the entire community of a remote village called Socaire. The approximately 250 inhabitants of this community work diligently to improve the condition of the most important resource in the Atacama Desert: water. During the Cleaning of the Canals, men and women of all ages work collectively to reconnect with their traditions and rituals. The specific way in which the Socaireños use shovels and their technique for cleaning the irrigation canals is a spectacle to behold. The method for cleaning the canals is understood as a transfer of ancestral knowledge that continues to thrive.3 Going Up to the MountainsThe rural village of Tilomonte is the southernmost village in the Atacama salt flat, and only a handful of families still reside there. Almost all of its inhabitants have migrated to larger towns or cities. The annual Cleaning of the Canals is the one activity that manages to bring together both current and former inhabitants of the village. They climb the ravines and remove the accumulated trash and weeds from the irrigation channel over the year. The activity starts downstream in the flat farming areas, located around 2,500 metres above sea level, and concludes at 3,500 metres, where the water flow begins.

Writing

(2021) Transformations to groundwater sustainability: from individuals and pumps to communities and aquifers

(2020) Autonomy in Times of Economic Complicity: Mining Expansion and Water Practices in Northern Chile

(2019) Hydrosocial territories in the Atacama Desert: An ethnographic analysis of changing water practices in Toconao, Chile

(2019) Autonomía en tiempos de complicidad económica: Expansión minera y prácticas del agua en el norte de Chile

(2014) TERRITORY’S FRAGMENTATION: The territory of aboriginal communities in the process of mining expansion: The case of the Atacama Desert, Chile