As a kid I built castles with soil. Equipped with gumboots on still too tiny feet I crossed sand piles, exploring the elements underneath me. Every now and then I would tear an earthworm apart. Roaming on the land was my favourite amusement.
In my home, southwest Germany, the most valuable natural resource lies underground. The natural deposit, mostly stones and sand, show suitable qualities for concrete production. This attracts mining companies that see value in the economic demand. Extractivism is divisive because it lies at the crossroads of economic development and environmental protection – at the same time the needs of our society dictate the destruction of landscapes, extractivism becomes necessity.
The altered landscapes shape missing pieces of the earth. It feels like the soul of my homeland becomes a surface – on display in quarries that grow larger due to everlasting demand. My motherland is wounded.
Visual research into an economy that’s inevitable, that transforms my homeland and of which I have doubts.
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