Quiulacocha is a visual essay that uses photographic alchemy as a medium and metaphor to address the impact of mining on the health of people in Cerro de Pasco, the epicenter of mining activity in Peru and one of the most polluted places in the world. Marco Garro, a Peruvian photographer who has worked on stories about mineral extraction in various parts of the country and who has visited Cerro de Pasco for more than 15 years, collected samples of the tailings dumped in Quiulacocha Lake. He then used them in developing the photographs he took of the environment and people affected by pollution in Cerro de Pasco. The tailings left marks and textures on the images that imitate, from their symbolic equivalence, the deterioration of the body when in contact with heavy metals, which have been detected in various blood tests of the population. We thank all the families who have participated in the project and have given permission to share their stories. -Publisher

Text in English and Spanish.