Authors: Antonia Taulis + Domingo Arancibia-Tagle Team: Renata Mattei, Cristobal Vial Location: Santiago International Airport, Chile Year: 2026 Area: 560 m² Territory of Drops is an art and architecture installation designed for the exterior of Santiago International Airport’s International Terminal. The project consists of a constellation of large-scale copper bodies inspired by the anatomy of water droplets, whose surfaces are engraved with the country's principal river basins. The work explores the relationship between water, territory, and movement. Chile is shaped by interconnected hydrological systems: melting snow and glaciers descending from the Andes, rivers crossing valleys, wetlands evaporating into the atmosphere, and waters ultimately reaching the Pacific Ocean. At the airport, a similar condition emerges as thousands of human trajectories intersect every day. The sculptural elements create a physical and symbolic journey through the diverse landscapes of Chile. Acting simultaneously as artwork, infrastructure, and informal seating, the pieces offer moments of pause within the continuous flow of travelers. Like droplets suspended before continuing their course, passengers encounter spaces for rest, observation, and reflection before resuming their journeys. Constructed from copper and glass, the installation transforms with light, movement, and changing viewpoints. Seen from above, the ensemble appears as a field of metallic droplets, evoking dew, an archipelago, or a suspended aquatic landscape. Each piece is finished with a green oxidized patina that emphasizes the organic qualities of copper and reinforces the connection to natural processes. Embedded within the surfaces, polished copper inscriptions form graphic representations of Chilean watersheds. River names follow the direction of water flow, creating a layer of information that references cartography, indigenous place names, petroglyphs, and territorial memory. These engraved landscapes reveal the hydrological systems that structure life across the country and connect communities to the geography they inhabit. Balancing art and architecture, Territory of Droplets invites immersion rather than distant contemplation. The project unfolds through multiple scales of experience: the perception of the ensemble from afar, the material discovery of individual pieces, the spatial experience of moving among them, and the reading of the engraved narratives. Through this layered encounter, the installation quietly connects territory, water, and movement, offering travelers an alternative way of understanding Chile—guided by its ecosystems rather than by political boundaries.